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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors
Published on: December 6, 2018
Comparison of different carbon sources for ground water denitrification
M-J Lorrain1, B Tartakovsky, A Peisajovich-Gilkstein
1Biotechnology Research Institute, NRC, 6100 Royalmount Ave, Montreal, PQ Canada.
Abstract:
This study presents a comparison of denitrification rates and denitrification stoichiometry when using different sources of carbon. Denitrification tests were carried out in test bottles containing water and soil samples acquired at a nitrate-contaminated site and supplemented with either sucrose, acetate or ethanol. The tests demonstrated nitrate removal in all carbon source supplemented bottles. The rate of denitrification and the required amount of a carbon source, however, depended on the choice of substrate. Ethanol and acetate were found to provide the highest denitrification rate, that of 1.4 - 1.6 mg-N l(-1) d(-1). Sucrose-supplemented bottles demonstrated a significantly slower denitrification rate, that of 0.6 - 0.9 mg-N l(-1) d(-1). In addition to slow denitrification rates, sucrose-supported denitrification required more carbon source.
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