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How does nitrification-denitrification remove nitrogen from sewage?
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wastewater treatment
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In wastewater treatment, the nitrification-denitrification process is a two-step biological method used to remove nitrogen from sewage to prevent eutrophication in receiving waters.1
The process functions as follows:
- Nitrification: In the first step, microorganisms convert ammonia present in the sewage into nitrates.1
- Denitrification: In the second step, different species of denitrifying bacteria metabolize the nitrates, converting them into nitrogen gas.21
Once converted to gas, the nitrogen escapes into the atmosphere, effectively removing it from the wastewater. While this biological approach is highly effective, it requires additional aeration and settling tanks, which significantly increases the overall cost of the treatment process.1