In a research funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), a new type of bacteria is discovered which can completely turn ammonia into nitrates. This microorganisms can reduce the cost of water treatment since in traditional methods Nitrogen present in waste water is not directly converted to nitrates. Huge amount of electricity is used in conventional method of treating waste water for nitrogen.
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This 'comammox' (complete ammonia oxidising) microorganisms directly convert Ammonia to nitrates. In standard methods, nitrogen is removed by two-step approach: ammonia is oxidised into nitrites that are then oxidised into nitrates, which are turned into nitrogen gas and flared off harmlessly.
The discovery was made by scientists working on the EPSRC-funded Healthy Drinking Water project, which is being led by the University of Glasgow and is due to publish its core findings later this year.
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| image: CS |
Dr Ameet Pinto has led the team, which has worked in collaboration with the University of Michigan in the US. He says: This discovery took us completely by surprise. It's a superb example of how EPSRC support provides a secure platform for a can-do environment enabling researchers to achieve important spin-off breakthroughs in addition to the primary goals of their research.
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