[Environment] A Brief Discussion on Nitrate Nitrogen and Ammonia Nitrogen

In surface treatment, nitric acid is commonly used for pre-treatment cleaning purposes. During its use, some substances will be indirectly generated, which are the "nitrate nitrogen" and "ammonia nitrogen" we are going to mention this time.

Nitrate nitrogen Chemical formula: NO3-N

Stable, low toxicity, and high concentrations can cause eutrophication of water bodies.

NO₃⁻ generated when nitric acid dissolves in water is the source of nitrate nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) refers to the nitrogen content in nitrate ions (NO₃⁻) in water. Therefore, when nitric acid is ionized in water, it forms nitrate nitrogen, and the value obtained from its analysis can indicate the degree of water pollution.

When the nitrate nitrogen content in rivers, lakes and reservoirs is too high, it is easy to cause algae to reproduce in large numbers, causing the water body to become eutrophic, resulting in an imbalance in the oxygen content in the water. Aquatic organisms die when they cannot obtain oxygen. When treating the waste liquid of related liquid medicines, it is necessary to outsource the treatment to an environmental protection company or treat it by yourself and it can only be discharged after it meets the standards.

Chemical industry effluent water quality items and limits Nitrate nitrogen: below 50 ppm

Ammonia nitrogen Chemical formula: NH4-N

High concentrations are toxic, especially unionized ammonia (NH₃), which is highly toxic to fish.

Nitric acid cannot directly produce ammonia nitrogen, but it can be produced indirectly in specific environments and chemical reactions. Nitric acid can be reduced to ammonia (NH₃) in the presence of strong reducing agents (such as metallic zinc and iron) or under high temperature and high pressure conditions.

Unionized ammonia (NH₃) is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic life, and can cause a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the water, leading to suffocation of aquatic life.

Chemical industry effluent water quality items and limits Ammonia nitrogen: below 120 ppm

Here we are talking about the impact on the environment, but let's look at it from another angle: "What if both substances are within the range value?" When the concentration is within a reasonable range (such as when the water source is not polluted), nitrate nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen can be regarded as naturally occurring sources of nutrients. For example:

• Nitrate nitrogen: A source of nitrogen absorbed by plants, beneficial to agriculture and ecosystems.
• Ammonia nitrogen: an important nutrient for microbial metabolism in water.

In conclusion, when their concentrations exceed the standard or affect the environment and health, they become key water pollution indicators to be monitored; in environmental protection or water treatment projects, the classification and control of pollutants should be emphasized; for wastewater treatment in the surface treatment industry, it will be a major challenge to meet the requirements of increasing standards year by year.