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Updated: May 22, 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
Nitrous oxide production from sequencing batch reactor sludge under nitrifying conditions: effect of nitrite
Youkui Gong1, Shuying Wang, Sai Wang
1School of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100022, China.
Abstract:
Nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas which contributes to the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer, can be emitted from nitrifying processes during wastewater treatment. The pathway of N2O production was studied using a lab-scale nitrifying reactor. Allylthiourea was used to inhibit NH4+ oxidation and provide information on processes that happen under nitrifying condition. Our study confirmed that besides heterotrophic bacteria, ammonium-oxidizing bacteria could perform denitrification processes, during which NO2- was the electron acceptor and NH4+ was the electron donor, with N2 and N2O as final products. The relative contribution of the heterotrophic denitrification process to total N2O emissions varied from 46.1% to 60.4% depending on NO2(-)-N addition. Correspondingly, 21.8% to 51.5% of total N2O emissions can be attributed to nitrifier denitrification. Little N2O is emitted during the NO2- oxidation process.
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The nitrous acid is unstable. Hence, it is formed in situ from a solution of sodium nitrite and cold aqueous acids such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. In an acidic solution, the –OH group of nitrous acid undergoes protonation to give oxonium ion, followed by water loss...

