denitrification

American  

[dee-nahy-truh-fi-key-shuhn] / diˌnaɪ trə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of denitrification

First recorded in 1880–85; de- + nitrification

Example Sentences

The team concluded that shrinking sea ice intensified a process known as benthic denitrification.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

The model results reveal intricate feedback mechanisms involving changes in the nitrogen and phosphorus content of phytoplankton, oceanic oxygen levels, N2 fixation by nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton, and denitrification.

From Science Daily • Oct. 13, 2023

The grasses on those freshwater wetlands clean water through their stems, and they have a biochemical effect on water called denitrification, Jacob said.

From Washington Times • Feb. 1, 2019

The process of denitrification is when bacteria convert the nitrates into nitrogen gas, thus allowing it to re-enter the atmosphere.

From Textbooks • Sep. 6, 2018

The conditions which favour denitrification are exactly the opposite of those which favour nitrification.

From Manures and the principles of manuring by Aikman, Charles Morton