denitrification

[dee-nahy-truh-fi-key-shuhn]

noun

Chemistry, Biology.

1. the bacterial or other microbial process in which nitrates and nitrites are reduced or removed from soil, water, or air by their conversion into nitrogenous gases: This process is environmentally significant, as in the treatment of wastewater, which depends on denitrification to eliminate toxic levels of nitrogen, making the water safe for plants and animals.

   We’re observing the nitrogen activity in salt marsh soil, with a particular interest in the last step of the nitrogen cycle—that is, denitrification.

Word History and Origins

Origin of denitrification¹

First recorded in 1880–85; de- + nitrification