Question

What is denitrification

Answer 1

Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process where nitrate is reduced and ultimately produces molecular nitrogen (N₂) through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products. Facultative anaerobic bacteria perform denitrification as a type of respiration that reduces oxidized forms of nitrogen in response to the oxidation of an electron donor such as organic matter. The preferred nitrogen electron acceptors in order of most to least thermodynamically favorable include nitrate(NO₃⁻), nitrite (NO₂⁻), nitric oxide(NO), nitrous oxide (N₂O) finally resulting in the production of nitrogen (N₂) completing the nitrogen cycle.