As ammonia has a high oxygen demand and potential toxicity to animals in receiving streams, ammonia has long been permitted in wastewater treatment plants Additional concerns about nitrite and nitrate creating algae blooms has created a need for completing the nitrogen cycle by reducing nitrate/nitrite concentrations via denitrification (producing nitrogen gas. Research over the past few decades has increased our understanding of the various bacteria and archaea associated with the nitrogen cycle. For reference, I will break out the organisms into their kingdom and ecological niche:
- Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) convert Ammonia --> Nitrite
- Ammonia Oxidizing Archaea (AOA) convert Ammonia --> Nitrite
- Nitrite Oxidizing Bacteria (NOB) convert Nitrite --> Nitrate
- Anammox - Nitrite + Ammonia --> Nitrogen Gas
- Heterotrophic (Denitrification & Nitrification)
BOD5 + Nitrate/Nitrite --> Nitrogen gas (oxidized nitrogen as alternative electron acceptor)
Ammonia/Nitrite --> Proteins, oxidized nitrogen (not primary energy source for microbes)
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