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Nitrates are made by converting ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2-) and then to nitrate (NO3-).

What do you predict the O2 levels in the river will be?

A)High - Nitrate (NO3-) contains more oxygen atoms than ammonia (NH3), so the O2 will be high.

B)Normal - Even though oxygen atoms are added to nitrogen during the nitrogen cycle, the levels of O2 in the water will be normal.

C)Low - The generation of nitrates (NO3-) requires oxygen, so the oxygen levels will be low.

1 answer

The correct prediction for the O2 levels in the river would be:

C) Low - The generation of nitrates (NO3-) requires oxygen, so the oxygen levels will be low.

The process of converting ammonia (NH3) to nitrites (NO2-) and then to nitrates (NO3-) through nitrification involves the consumption of oxygen. Nitrification is typically carried out by bacteria that require oxygen, meaning that as these bacteria convert ammonia to nitrates, they consume dissolved oxygen from the water. Therefore, we would expect the oxygen levels in the river to be lower due to this biological process.