Denitrification completeness is related to oxygen

Groundwater denitrification varied across the sites studied by the Benign Denitrification in Groundwaters project. The main end product of groundwater denitrification (nitrogen gas or nitrous oxide) also varied, depending on the amount of oxygen in the groundwater.

Benign Denitrification in Groundwaters ran field trials on six pastoral farms in the Manawatu and Rangitikei river catchments to check if denitrification processes in groundwater are complete, turning nitrate into harmless nitrogen gas (benign denitrification). Incomplete denitrification creates the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.