Denitrators

Stoutman wrote on 9/16/2006 12:20 PM:
It is a VERY complex series of events.

Actually it's very simple. Just as we consume oxygen, so
do many types of bacteria. When oxygen levels get low,
bacteria start taking oxygen away from compounds in the
water such as nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, and many other
compounds.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

Wayne Sallee wrote in news:3kWOg.12966$xQ1.5621
@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:

Stoutman wrote on 9/16/2006 12:20 PM:
It is a VERY complex series of events.

Actually it's very simple. Just as we consume oxygen, so
do many types of bacteria. When oxygen levels get low,
bacteria start taking oxygen away from compounds in the
water such as nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, and many other
compounds.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



In order for the NO3 to give us N2 and H2O, wouldn't you need free H+
ions roaming around? Free hydrogen reacts pretty strongly with O2 if I
remember my chemistry correctly. Or does the free O-- released from the
NO3 pull the 2 H+ ions off the H2O and release the O2 molecule? But why
would the H+ ions do that? It would be swapping one O2 molecule for
another O2. And H2O is a very stable molecule.

Don't think H2O is produced by in the de-nitration process.


Mark

In order for the NO3 to give us N2 and H2O, wouldn't you need free H+
ions roaming around?

No. This process (denitrification) happens at an enzymatic/cellular
(anaerobic bacteria) level. The H+ come from general acids (protonated
amino acid residues, i.e. histidines) within the enzyme(s) involved.


Free hydrogen reacts pretty strongly with O2 if I
remember my chemistry correctly. Or does the free O-- released from the
NO3 pull the 2 H+ ions off the H2O and release the O2 molecule? But why
would the H+ ions do that?

Actually at the enzymatic level (nitrate reductase) it is OH- that forms
(not O--) and this quickly picks up a proton (H+) from neighboring general
acids to produce H2O.

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message link.net...
Stoutman wrote on 9/16/2006 12:20 PM:
It is a VERY complex series of events.

Actually it's very simple. Just as we consume oxygen, so
do many types of bacteria. When oxygen levels get low,
bacteria start taking oxygen away from compounds in the
water such as nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, and many other
compounds.

or cyanobacteria consumes free nitrogen where other
algae or bacteria consume nitrates or ammonia.