Dutch microbiologists from Radboud University (RU) in Nijmegen have discovered the kommamox bacteria that remove nitrogen compounds from wastewater. The research was published in the official gazette Web site scientific institution.
Scientists have known for more than 20 years that anammox microbes can convert nitrous acid salts (nitrites) into harmless nitrogen gas, which makes up 80% of Earth’s atmosphere. However, microorganisms need a certain amount of nitrogen and nitrite to do this.
Detected commamox microorganisms in turn convert nitrates (nitric acid salts used as fertilizer) into nitrites and vice versa. This means that commamox can provide anammox with the necessary elemental ratios to decompose nitrogen pollutants into harmless components.
According to the study’s authors, commamox and anammox interact with nitrogen compounds under the same conditions, allowing them to be used together without requiring additional preparation.
“In any case, we noticed that commamox also grows well in low-oxygen environments and can work well in these conditions. This means that it is actually possible to combine it with anammox,” said microbiologist Peter Blom.
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