Open AccessHumic acid relieves pH‐inhibition of nitrification in continuous‐flow columns
Author(s) -
Bazin M.J.,
Rutili A.,
Gaines A.,
Lynch J.M.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1991.tb04692.x
Subject(s) - nitrobacter , humic acid , nitrification , compost , nitrosomonas , chemistry , environmental chemistry , nitrite , nitrous acid , chromatography , nitrogen , inorganic chemistry , biology , fertilizer , organic chemistry , nitrate , ecology
Humic acids obtained from a commercial source and isolated from mushroom wheatstraw compost inhibited nitrification by Nitrosomonas europea and Nitrobacter agilis in a continuous‐flow column at concentrations in excess of 100 μg cm −3 . Lowering the pH of the input medium also reduced the rate of nitrification but in the presence of the compost, and to a lesser extent the commercial humic acid, pH‐inhibition was relieved. With the commercial humic acid, this effect can be explained in terms of the buffering capacity of the extract.