Saturday, October 10, 2026
Science

Where does Earth's nitrogen go? Two atoms offer a clue

Nitrogen is one of life's building blocks, but it's only helpful in the right amounts. Too much nitrogen in water, for example, can lead to poor water quality and the gradual death of aquatic organisms. Microbes remove nitrogen from water by converting it to a gas that escapes into the atmosphere. B...

Where does Earth's nitrogen go? Two atoms offer a clue
Image: Phys.org
Nitrogen is one of life's building blocks, but it's only helpful in the right amounts. Too much nitrogen in water, for example, can lead to poor water quality and the gradual death of aquatic organisms. Microbes remove nitrogen from water by converting it to a gas that escapes into the atmosphere. But scientists have difficulty determining how much nitrogen is removed this way.

Originally published at Phys.org

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