Aerobic denitrification

About: Aerobic denitrification is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1350 publications have been published within this topic receiving 58235 citations.

Role of nitrifier denitrification in the production of nitrous oxide

Abstract: Nitrifier denitrification is the pathway of nitrification in which ammonia (NH 3 ) is oxidized to nitrite (NO 2 − ) followed by the reduction of NO 2 − to nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ). The transformations are carried out by autotrophic nitrifiers. Thus, nitrifier denitrification differs from coupled nitrification–denitrification, where denitrifiers reduce NO 2 − or nitrate (NO 3 − ) that was produced by nitrifiers. Nitrifier denitrification contributes to the development of the greenhouse gas N 2 O and also causes losses of fertilizer nitrogen in agricultural soils. In this review article, present knowledge about nitrifier denitrification is summarized in order to give an exact definition, to spread awareness of its pathway and controlling factors and to identify areas of research needed to improve global N 2 O budgets. Due to experimental difficulties and a lack of awareness of nitrifier denitrification, not much is known about this mechanism of N 2 O production. The few measurements carried out so far attribute up to 30% of the total N 2 O production to nitrifier denitrification. Low oxygen conditions coupled with low organic carbon contents of soils favour this pathway as might low pH. As nitrifier denitrification can lead to substantial N 2 O emissions, there is a need to quantify this pathway in different soils under different conditions. New insights attained through quantification experiments should be used in the improvement of computer models to define sets of conditions that show where and when nitrifier denitrification is a significant source of N 2 O. This may subsequently render the development of guidelines for low-emission farming practices necessary.

A microbial consortium couples anaerobic methane oxidation to denitrification

Abstract: Modern agriculture has accelerated biological methane and nitrogen cycling on a global scale. Freshwater sediments often receive increased downward fluxes of nitrate from agricultural runoff and upward fluxes of methane generated by anaerobic decomposition. In theory, prokaryotes should be capable of using nitrate to oxidize methane anaerobically, but such organisms have neither been observed in nature nor isolated in the laboratory. Microbial oxidation of methane is thus believed to proceed only with oxygen or sulphate. Here we show that the direct, anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to denitrification of nitrate is possible. A microbial consortium, enriched from anoxic sediments, oxidized methane to carbon dioxide coupled to denitrification in the complete absence of oxygen. This consortium consisted of two microorganisms, a bacterium representing a phylum without any cultured species and an archaeon distantly related to marine methanotrophic Archaea. The detection of relatives of these prokaryotes in different freshwater ecosystems worldwide indicates that the reaction presented here may make a substantial contribution to biological methane and nitrogen cycles.

Contributions of nitrification and denitrification to N2O emissions from soils at different water-filled pore space.

Abstract: A combination of stable isotope and acetylene (0.01% v/v) inhibition techniques were used for the first time to determine N2O production during denitrification, autotrophic nitrification and heterotrophic nitrification in a fertilised (200 kg N ha−1) silt loam soil at contrasting (20–70%) water-filled pore space (WFPS). 15N-N2O emissions from 14NH415NO3 replicates were attributed to denitrification and 15N-N2O from 15NH415NO3 minus that from 14NH415NO3 replicates was attributed to nitrification and heterotrophic nitrification in the presence of acetylene, as there was no dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium or immobilisation and remineralisation of 15N-NO3−. All of the N2O emitted at 70% WFPS (31.6 mg N2O-N m−2 over 24 days; 1.12 μg N2O-N g dry soil−1; 0.16% of N applied) was produced during denitrification, but at 35–60% WFPS nitrification was the main process producing N2O, accounting for 81% of 15N-N2O emitted at 60% WFPS, and 7.9 μg 15N-N2O m−2 (0.28 ng 15N-N2O g dry soil−1) was estimated to be emitted over 7 days during heterotrophic nitrification in the 50% WFPS treatment and accounted for 20% of 15N-N2O from this treatment. Denitrification was the predominant N2O-producing process at 20% WFPS (2.6 μg 15N-N2O m−2 over 7 days; 0.09 ng 15N-N2O g dry soil−1; 85% of 15N-N2O from this treatment) and may have been due to the occurrence of aerobic denitrification at this WFPS. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of a combined stable isotope and acetylene approach to quantify N2O emissions from different processes and to show that several processes may contribute to N2O emission from agricultural soils depending on soil WFPS.

Production of N 2 through Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Coupled to Nitrate Reduction in Marine Sediments

Abstract: In the global nitrogen cycle, bacterial denitrification is recognized as the only quantitatively important process that converts fixed nitrogen to atmospheric nitrogen gas, N 2 , thereby influencing many aspects of ecosystem function and global biogeochemistry. However, we have found that a process novel to the marine nitrogen cycle, anaerobic oxidation of ammonium coupled to nitrate reduction, contributes substantially to N 2 production in marine sediments. Incubations with 15 N-labeled nitrate or ammonium demonstrated that during this process, N 2 is formed through one-to-one pairing of nitrogen from nitrate and ammonium, which clearly separates the process from denitrification. Nitrite, which accumulated transiently, was likely the oxidant for ammonium, and the process is thus similar to the anammox process known from wastewater bioreactors. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation accounted for 24 and 67% of the total N 2 production at two typical continental shelf sites, whereas it was detectable but insignificant relative to denitrification in a eutrophic coastal bay. However, rates of anaerobic ammonium oxidation were higher in the coastal sediment than at the deepest site and the variability in the relative contribution to N 2 production between sites was related to large differences in rates of denitrification. Thus, the relative importance of anaerobic ammonium oxidation and denitrification in N 2 production appears to be regulated by the availability of their reduced substrates. By shunting nitrogen directly from ammonium to N 2 , anaerobic ammonium oxidation promotes the removal of fixed nitrogen in the oceans. The process can explain ammonium deficiencies in anoxic waters and sediments, and it may contribute significantly to oceanic nitrogen budgets.