The present study dealt with relationships between the degradation and humification process that the organic matter underwent during bacteria-mineral technology.An inverse correlation was found between the protein,lipid,and some of the humification indices considered,suggesting that the humification theory is actually humic substances produced from simple-structured natural organic substrates.Weight-average molecular weight (Mw),number-average molecular weight(Mn),and the ratio Mw/Mn of dissolved organic matters at difierent stages of the process were measured by gel permeation chromatography.The results showed that Mn and Mw increased with reaction time from 352 to 17,191,and from 78,707 to 104,564,respectively.The ratio of Mn/Mw decreased from 223.3 to 6.1.This reflected the growth of the polymerization degree of dissolvable organic matters in the process;furthermore,it indicated the formation of complex molecules (humic substances) from more simple molecules.Bacteria-mineral water(BMW) (the effluent of the process) treatments can exert hormone-like activity for enhanced seed germination of wheat and rice and greatly improved chlorophyll synthesis in wheat and rice leaves.Major polyamines (plant regulators) putrescine,spermidine,and spermine,were found in BMW by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method,which may explain the hormone-like activity of BMW.