Denitrification (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

noun Chemistry, Biology.

the bacterial or other microbial process in which nitrates and nitrites are reduced or removed from soil, water, or air by their conversion into nitrogenous gases: This process is environmentally significant, as in the treatment of wastewater, which depends on denitrification to eliminate toxic levels of nitrogen, making the water safe for plants and animals: We’re observing the nitrogen activity in salt marsh soil, with a particular interest in the last step of the nitrogen cycle—that is, denitrification.