Denitrification is a microbial respiratory process in which oxidized nitrogen species, primarily nitrate (NO₃⁻) and nitrite (NO₂⁻), are sequentially reduced to gaseous forms such as nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and dinitrogen (N₂) under low-oxygen or anoxic conditions. It is typically carried out by facultative anaerobic bacteria and some archaea using nitrate or nitrite as terminal electron acceptors, coupled to the oxidation of organic or inorganic electron donors. Denitrification is a key step in the global nitrogen cycle, regulating bioavailable nitrogen in ecosystems and contributing to greenhouse gas and reactive nitrogen fluxes.
Scientists have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step ...
Biotechnology
Feb 26, 2026
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When snow blankets the landscape, it may seem like life slows down. But beneath the surface, an entire world of activity is unfolding.
Earth Sciences
Feb 3, 2026
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Human activities add large quantities of nitrogen to the environment, much of which gets washed into streams and rivers. These waterways transport some of that nitrogen to the oceans, but they also remove a significant portion ...
Ecology
Jan 19, 2026
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26
Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Riverside, have investigated how the loss of forest soil gaseous nitrogen (NO, N2O, and N2) is affected ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 28, 2025
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Microorganisms in the Black Sea can produce large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). However, this gas never reaches the atmosphere because it is swiftly consumed by other microorganisms, which convert ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 4, 2025
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A new study has revealed how tiny microbes in rivers and wetlands across China help clean up excess nitrogen pollution, offering fresh insights into the health of freshwater ecosystems and the global nitrogen cycle.
Ecology
Sep 25, 2025
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21
Modern crops are often excessively fertilized, which boosts yields in the short term but also harms the environment due to nutrient runoffs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Biotechnology
Aug 21, 2025
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Tile drainage is a common practice used in agricultural fields to remove excess water, but it also transports harmful nutrients into water bodies, contributing to algal blooms that deprive aquatic life of oxygen. Woodchip ...
Biotechnology
Aug 11, 2025
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24
Laughing gas (nitrous oxide or N₂O) is primarily released by the microorganisms responsible for cleaning our wastewater. These microbes live in complex communities, with each group performing a specific role. Emissions vary ...
Environment
May 8, 2025
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