Ammonia

About: Ammonia is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 16217 publications have been published within this topic receiving 271940 citations. The topic is also known as: NH3 & azane.

Interactions between Thaumarchaea, Nitrospira and methanotrophs modulate autotrophic nitrification in volcanic grassland soil

Abstract: Ammonium/ammonia is the sole energy substrate of ammonia oxidizers, and is also an essential nitrogen source for other microorganisms. Ammonia oxidizers therefore must compete with other soil microorganisms such as methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in terrestrial ecosystems when ammonium concentrations are limiting. Here we report on the interactions between nitrifying communities dominated by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and Nitrospira-like nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and communities of MOB in controlled microcosm experiments with two levels of ammonium and methane availability. We observed strong stimulatory effects of elevated ammonium concentration on the processes of nitrification and methane oxidation as well as on the abundances of autotrophically growing nitrifiers. However, the key players in nitrification and methane oxidation, identified by stable-isotope labeling using 13CO2 and 13CH4, were the same under both ammonium levels, namely type 1.1a AOA, sublineage I and II Nitrospira-like NOB and Methylomicrobium-/Methylosarcina-like MOB, respectively. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were nearly absent, and ammonia oxidation could almost exclusively be attributed to AOA. Interestingly, although AOA functional gene abundance increased 10-fold during incubation, there was very limited evidence of autotrophic growth, suggesting a partly mixotrophic lifestyle. Furthermore, autotrophic growth of AOA and NOB was inhibited by active MOB at both ammonium levels. Our results suggest the existence of a previously overlooked competition for nitrogen between nitrifiers and methane oxidizers in soil, thus linking two of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature.

Airborne observations of ammonia and ammonium nitrate formation over Houston, Texas

Abstract: [1] Anthropogenic emissions of NOx (nitric oxide (NO) + nitrogen dioxide (NO2)), which in sunlight can be oxidized to form nitric acid (HNO3), can react with ammonia (NH3) to form ammonium nitrate particles. Ammonium nitrate formation was observed from the NOAA WP-3D aircraft over Houston during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study with fast-response measurements of NH3, HNO3, particle composition, and particle size distribution. Typically, NH3 mixing ratios over the urban area ranged from 0.2 to 3 ppbv and were predominantly from area sources. No NH3 enhancements were observed in emission plumes from power plants. The few plumes with high NH3 levels from point source emissions that were sampled are analyzed in detail. While the paucity of NH3 data in emission inventories made point source identification difficult, one plume was traced to NH3 release from an industrial accident. NH3 mixing ratios in these plumes ranged from 5 to 80 ppbv. In these plumes, the NH3 enhancement correlated with a decrease in HNO3 mixing ratio and an increase in particulate NO3− concentration indicating ammonium nitrate formation. The ammonium nitrate aerosol mass budget in the plumes was analyzed to assess the quantitative agreement between the gas and aerosol phase measurements. The thermodynamic equilibrium between the gas and aerosol phase was examined for one flight by comparing the modeled dissociation constant for ammonium nitrate with NH3 and HNO3 measurements. The high levels of NH3 in these plumes shifted the equilibrium toward favorable thermodynamic conditions for the condensation of ammonium nitrate onto particles.

Studies on Electrochemical Disinfectant Production Using Anodes Containing RuO2

Abstract: The present work contains results for artificial water electrolysis in discontinuous operation using laboratory reactors without separators. Rotating anodes with mixed oxide coatings containing IrO2/RuO2 were used. The experimental parameters were the chloride concentration, current density, rotation rate, cathode material, pH and water composition. Active and total chlorine concentrations and current efficiencies were obtained. It was shown that even for very low chloride concentrations, chlorine formation occurs, but side effects and side reactions significantly lower the efficiency in this case. Nitrite and ammonia formation was found to reduce the efficiency of chlorine formation. Partial polarization curves were obtained in kinetic experiments using solutions containing chloride and sulphate ions.

Electrochemical synthesis of ammonia directly from air and water using a Li+/H+/NH4+ mixed conducting electrolyte

Abstract: Ammonia has been successfully synthesised directly from air and water using an electrochemical cell based on an H+/Li+/NH4+ mixed conducting membrane and Pt/C electrodes. It is found that the Nafion 211 membrane exhibits mixed H+/Li+ conduction after exchanging in 0.1 M Li2SO4 solution. The ionic conductivity of the mixed conductor is slightly lower than that of H+-form Nafion 211. The introduction of Li+ ions to the cell did not improve the ammonia formation rates in our experiments. Reasonably higher temperature may favour ammonia formation and the highest ammonia formation rate (9.37 × 10−6 mol m−2 s−1) and Faraday efficiency (0.83%) was obtained at 80 °C when a voltage of 1.2 V was applied. The ammonia formation rate decreased when 0.1 M Li2SO4 solution instead of water was used in the cell. Under the applied potential, the presence of Li+ ions might have a blocking effect on the transfer of protons resulting in a lower current at higher applied voltage, particularly at lower temperatures.