30. How the nitrogen cycle works Step 1: Nitrogen-fixation. Atmospheric: Happens when Nitrogen (N2) is oxidized at high temperatures (by lightning) to make nitrite (NO2). This can combine with water to form nitric acid (H2NO3), which is deposited on earth through rainfall. Biological: Done by bacteria which can convert N2 into ammonia (NH3) if an energy source is present. Some get this energy by directly absorbing sunlight (blue-green algae) or by living in the roots of plants (legumes, alder trees), who provide them with food ( Rhizobium, Azospirillium ). Step 2: Conversion to Ammonia. As amino acids and nucleic acids require N in the form of Ammonia, if nitrate (NO3) present, it must be converted to NH3. Step 3: Biological Use. Ammonia is incorporated into proteins, nucleic acids Step 4: When organism dies, ammonia is released back into the biosphere through the process of Ammonification, in which water is added to proteins to make carbon dioxide and ammonia. This process happens during digestion, and is also done by bacterial and fungal decomposers. Step 5: If ammonia released into oxygen rich soil, other bacteria can convert it into nitrite or nitrate through the process of Nitrification. This is a problem, as it gives the molecule which contains Nitrogen a negative charge, which repels it from soil particles, causing it to be easily leached into streams and groundwater. Step 6: If soils remain anaerobic, another group of poop will convert it back into inert, atmospheric N2 through the process of Denitrification. In this process, bacteria use nitrate as an Oxygen source for respiration.
32. How does waste treatment play in nitrogen cycle? Large amounts of nitrogen release to the environment is extremely bad for the environment because in certain areas, the nitrogen level is high which makes the some of the plant utilize the nitrogen in order to grow faster. This results in leaving fewer resources and thus making certain plants become extinct and because of this many species of animals, insects and birds are directly affected by this. Onsite sewage facility are wastewater systems that are made to treat and dispose effluent on the same place that it produces wastewater. Examples like septic tanks and holding tanks release a vast amount of nitrogen in to the atmosphere. This is done by discharging through a drain field which are removing the contaminants and impurities from the septic tank into the ground. Because of this, the nitrogen cycle has been greatly altered by humans thus creating a bad environment to the atmosphere.
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34. Bibliography "9(s) The Nitrogen Cycle." PhysicalGeography.net Welcome Page . Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9s.html>. "EPD - Beach Water Quality." Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/water/beach_quality/bwq_current_hk_tc_grading.html>. "GovHK: Beach Water Quality." GovHK - One-stop Portal of the Hong Kong SAR Government . Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/water/beachwater.htm>. "Nitrogen - The Bad Guy of Global Warming - The Naked Scientists 2007.03.21." The Naked Scientists Online, Science Podcast and Science Radio Show . Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/nitrogenthebadguyofglobalwarming1160583306/>.
35. Continue… "Nitrogen Cycle" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia . Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle>. "Stanley, Underground, Sea Outfall." Civil Engineering Computer Aided Learning (CIVCAL) . Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://civcal.media.hku.hk/sewage/stanley/default.htm>. "Wastewater Treatment -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia . Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/666611/wastewater-treatment>. "YouTube - The Nitrogen Cycle." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCogeBk92NA&feature=related>.
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