Particulate organic matter

Particulate organic matter or POM is like tiny bits of dead plants and animals that are floating in the water or sitting on the ground. Imagine if you are at the beach and you see sand and seashells, but if you look really closely, you will also see teeny tiny things called plankton that are so small you can barely see them. These plankton are part of POM, but POM is made up of many different things – not just plankton.

When plants and animals die, their bodies break down into small bits that can mix with water or get blown around in the air. If you've ever seen dust in a sunbeam, that's a bit like POM in the air! In the water, POM can move around and get eaten by other living things that are still alive, like fish or small bugs.

Scientists study POM to learn more about the environment and how ecosystems work. By looking at POM, they can see what types of plants and animals are living in a particular area, and how they are affecting each other. They can also tell if the water is polluted because too much POM can be a sign that something is wrong.

So, in summary, POM is like tiny pieces of dead plants and animals that can be found floating in water or sitting on the ground. They help scientists learn more about different environments and can tell us whether or not an area is polluted.