UnderstandingtheBasicPrinciplesofNitrogen

(excerptedfromanarticlebyRobertScotttheWastewaterTechnicianfortheAtlanticStatesRuralWater&
WastewaterAssociation.)
Inordertounderstandanyconversationonnitrogenitishelpfultounderstandthedifferentformsof
nitrogenandsomecommonlyreferredtotermsthatyougetusedintheconversation.
TotalNitrogen(TN)isthesumofallnitrogenformsor;
TotalNitrogen=AmmoniaNitrogen(NH3)+OrganicNitrogen(Nitrogeninaminoacidsandproteins)+
Nitrite(NO2)+Nitrate(NO3)or;
TotalNitrogen=TKN+NO2+NO3(Thisistheformulausedtomeasurenitrogenatwastewaterplants).
TKNstandsforTotalKjeldahlNitrogenwhichisthesumof;NH3+OrganicNitrogen
NH3standsforAmmoniaNitrogen
OrganicNitrogenisprincipallyfoundasaminoacids&proteinsthisincludesureaanduricacid
NO2standsforNitrite
NO3standsforNitrate
N2standsforNitrogenGas
RefractoryNitrogenisthenitrogenthatcantbebiologicallydecomposed.
AlkalinityiseasiestdefinedastheabilitytoresistadropinpH.Thisisveryimportantbecauseforevery1
partammonia(NH3)convertedtonitrate(NO3)7.1partsofalkalinityaredepleted,andforevery1part
nitrate(NO3)removed3.6partsalkalinityarerecovered.
Ananoxiczoneisanareaswherethedissolvedoxygenlevelsarelessthan1.0mg/L
Inananoxiczonethebug'soxygensourceisderivedfromthenitrate(NO3)compounds.
Nitrificationanddenitrificationaretwotermsthatarecommonlymisunderstood.Bothareindividually
distinctprocesses.
Nitrificationistheconversionofammonia(NH3)tonitrate(NO3).Howisthisdone?Inawastewater
plant,andsimilarlyinthesoil,thisisatwostepprocessthatisdonewithoxygenandtwotypesofbacteria,
NitrosomonasandNitrobacter,knowncollectivelyasthenitrifiers.
Ammonia(NH3)+Oxygen(O2)+Alkalinity+Nitrosomonas=Nitrite(NO2)
Nitrite(NO2)+Oxygen(O2)+Alkalinity+Nitrobacter=Nitrate(NO3)
Nitrite(NO2)istheunstableformofnitrogenandiseasilyconvertedbecauseitdoesnotwishtobeinthis
form.

Thetotalconversionofammonia(NH3)tonitrate(NO3)takes4.6partsoxygenand7.1partsalkalinityto
convert1partammonia(NH3).
Denitrificationistheconversionofnitrate(NO3)tonitrogengas(N2).Howisthisdone?Heterotrophic
bacteriautilizethenitrate(NO3)asanoxygensourceunderanoxicconditionstobreakdownorganic
substances.
Nitrates(NO3)+Organics+Heterotrophicbacteria=NitrogenGas&Oxygen&Alkalinity