DearJoao Gouveia,

We recently have published a paper on degradation rates of diatom-derived EPS by heterotrophic bacteria (http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00245/full). We used a linear degradation model, as most of studies on EPS degradation, where rates are expressed as mg Corg g-1 sediment WW. day-1. Secondly, we also used the one-G model of organic matter degradation (Berner, 1964), since organic matter degradation in marine sediments usually follows an exponential decay with time and this allows us to compare our rates with other EPS non-related studies. In this case, K is the degradation constant in day-1 units.

Hope it can help you.

Cheers!