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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
Published on: October 7, 2020
[Nitrogen removal by Bacillus sp. LY with heterotrophic nitrification ability]
1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. hex@sjtu.edu.cn
Bacillus sp. LY efficiently removes nitrogen, converting organic nitrogen to ammonium and then to N2. Optimal removal occurs at moderate organic material concentrations, suggesting potential for new high-efficiency biological nitrogen removal processes.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Wastewater treatment technologies
Background:
- Nitrogen removal from wastewater is crucial for environmental protection.
- Biological nitrogen removal processes are essential for mitigating eutrophication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nitrogen removal capabilities of Bacillus sp. LY.
- To elucidate the influence of ammonium and organic matter concentrations on nitrogen removal efficiency.
- To explore the metabolic pathways involved in nitrogen transformation by Bacillus sp. LY.
Main Methods:
- Culturing Bacillus sp. LY under varying ammonium-nitrogen loads (40, 80, 120 mg/L).
- Assessing nitrogen removal rates at different organic material concentrations.
- Analyzing the transformation pathways of organic nitrogen to ammonium and subsequently to N2.
Main Results:
- Bacillus sp. LY achieved 100% ammonium-nitrogen removal at 40 mg/L load.
- Nitrogen removal efficiency decreased with increasing ammonium concentration.
- Moderate organic material concentration optimized nitrogen removal, while low and high concentrations were inhibitory or non-enhancing.
- Identified two potential pathways for nitrogen transformation: nitrification-denitrification and direct ammonium oxidation to N2 via hydroxylamine and N2O.
Conclusions:
- Bacillus sp. LY demonstrates significant potential for biological nitrogen removal.
- Optimizing organic matter concentration is key for maximizing nitrogen removal efficiency.
- The identified metabolic pathways offer insights for developing novel, high-efficiency nitrogen removal strategies.
Related Concept Videos
Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle
Bioremediation
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microbial Wastewater Treatment

