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NITROGEN

INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION
• Nitrogen is required by all organisms for the basic
processes of life to make proteins, to grow, and to
reproduce.
• Nitrogen is very common and found in many
forms in the environment.
• Nitrogen digunakan untuk organisme hidup
menghasilkan sejumlah molekul organik kompleks
seperti:
– asam amino,
– protein dan
– asam nukeotida.

INTRODUCTION
• Nitrogen is one of the most abundant
elements.
• About 80 percent of the air we breath is
nitrogen.
• It is found in the cells of all living things and is
a major component of proteins.
• Nitrogen-containing compounds act as
nutrients in streams in rivers.

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SIKLUS NITROGEN

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QUESTIONS
• Sumber Nitrogen
• Bentuk – bentuk nitrogen
• Proses transformasi nitrogen DALAM SIKLUS
NITROGEN

Siklus nitrogen (nitrogen cycle)

• merupakan salah satu daur biogeokimia nutrient yang sangat
penting di muka bumi ini.
• is the process by which NITROGEN is converted between its
various chemical forms
• transformation can be carried out through both biological and
physical processes
• Nitrogen is recycled continually by plants and animals.
• This recycling of nitrogen through the environment is called
the "nitrogen cycle."
• Most organisms (including humans) can't use nitrogen in the
gaseous form N2 for their nutrition, so they are dependent on
other organisms to convert nitrogen gas to nitrate, ammonia,
or amino acids.

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NITROGEN CYCLE
• Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) are naturally occurring inorganic
ions that are part of the nitrogen cycle.
• Microbial action in soil or water decomposes wastes containing
organic nitrogen into ammonia, which is then oxidized to nitrite and
nitrate.
• Because nitrite is easily oxidized to nitrate, nitrate is the compound
predominantly found in groundwater and surface waters.
• Contamination with nitrogen-containing fertilizers (e.g. potassium
nitrate and ammonium nitrate), or animal or human organic wastes,
can raise the concentration of nitrate in water.
• Nitrate-containing compounds in the soil are generally soluble and
readily migrate with groundwater.
• The ability of nitrate to enter well water depends on the type of soil
and bedrock present, and on the depth and construction of the
well.

FIKSASI

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FIXATION
• Fiksasi atau penambatan nitrogen merupakan proses
biokimiawi dalam tanah yang mengubah nitrogen
atmosfer (Nitrogen bebas menjadi nitrogen dalam
persenyawaan.
• "Fixation" is the conversion of gaseous nitrogen to
ammonia or nitrate.
– The most common kind of fixation is "biological fixation"
which is carried out by a variety of organisms, including
blue-green algae, the soil bacteria Azobacter, and the
association of legume plants and the bacteria Rhizobium.
– Additionally, nitrogen can be fixed by some inorganic
processes. For example, "high-energy fixation" occurs in
the atmosphere as a result of lightning, cosmic radiation,
and meteorite trails. Atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen
combine to form nitrous oxides (NOx), which fall to the
earth as nitrate.

NITROGEN & TANAMAN

• Meskipun sumber nitrogen sedemikian melimpah di
atmosphere, nitrogen seringkali menjadi nutrien pembatas
dalam pertumbuhan tanaman.
• Problem ini dikarenakan kebanyakan tanaman hanya dapat
mengambil/memanfaatkan nitrogen dalam 2 (dua) bentuk:
– ion ammonium ion (NH4+ ) dan
– ion nitrate (NO3-).
• Tanaman paling banyak memenuhi keperluan nitrogennya
dalam bentuk nitrate inorganik dari massa tanah.
• Ammonium digunakan dalam jumlah sedikit karena dalam
jumlah besar dapat berakibat toxic.
• Hewan-hewan mendapatkan nitrogen dengan memakan
bagian dari materi organic organisme hidup ataupun yang
mati untuk metabolisme, tumbuh dan berkembang biak.

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NITROGEN DAN TANAMAN

• Apabila ion nitrat telah diserap akar tumbuhan maka
akan diubah menjadi amonia dengan 2 tahapan:
– Proses di dalam sitoplasma mengubah Nitrat menjadi
Nitrit dengan bantuan nitrat reduktase. Nitrit ini sangat
beracun bagi tumbuhan maka harus segera diubah.
– Perubahan Nitrit menjadi amonia dibantu dengan enzim
Nitrit reduktase. Proses ini terjadi di dalam proplastida sel-
sel akar atau di dalam kloroplas.

Terlepasnya Nitrogen DARI tanah

• Terlepasnya nitrogen dari tanah melalui 4 (empat) jalur,
terkait dengan kesuburan tanah:
– Denitrification
Bakteri mengubah nitrate di tanah menjadi nitrogen bebas ke
atmosphere
– Volatilization
Berubahnya pupuk urea dipermukaan tanah menjadi gas.
– Runoff
Terbawanya nitrogen dari pupuk ke sungai dan badan air – terkait
dengan kualitas air.
– Leaching
Terbawanya nitrat oleh air sedemikian dalamnya masuk ke dalam
tanah sehingga tumbuhan tidah dapat memanfaatkannya.  dapat
mempengaruhi kualitas air minum (sumur) dan tentunya hilangnya
kesuburan tanah.

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TIGA KELOMPOK MIKROORGANISME

DALAM FIKSASI NITROGEN
• Secara garis besar ada tiga kelompok
mikroorganisme yang terlibat dalam proses ini:
– Organisme non simbiotik, hidup bebas mandiri
• Aerobik: 3 genus dari Azotobacteraceae yaitu: Azotobacter,
Azospirillum, Beijerinckia
• Cyanobacter: Anabaena dan Nostoc
• Clostridium pasteurianum
• Diperkirakan jumlah nitrogen yang ditambat melalui proses
fiksasi nonsimbiotik mencapai 56 kg/ha.per tahun bervariasi
tergantung jenis/keadaan tanah maupun iklim
– Organisme simbiotik membentuk bintil
• Pembentuk bintil akar: Rhizobium  legum, Actinomycetes
 Frankia, Alnus, Ganggang biru hijau pada permukaan akar
species Gymnospermae.
• Pembentuk bintil daun (filosfer) oleh sejumlah bakteri pada
daun tumbuhan berkayu di hutan tropis

– Organisme simbiotik tidak membentuk bintil

• Ganggang biru hijau berasosiasi dengan paku (Azolla),
dan dengan fungi (lumut kerak)
• Azotobacter dengan rerumputan tropis maupun non
tropis: Azospirillum brasilense, Spirillum lipoferum dan
Azobacter paspali.

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AMONIFIKASI

AMMONIFICATION
• When plants and animals die, proteins (which
contain organic nitrogen) are broken down by
bacteria to form ammonia (NH3). This process is
called "ammonification."
• Together with ammonification, nitrification forms
a mineralization process that refers to the
complete decomposition of organic material,
with the release of available nitrogen
compounds. This replenishes the nitrogen cycle.

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NITRIFICATION AND
DENITRIFICATION

NITRIFICATION AND DENITRIFICATION

• Ammonia is then broken down by other bacteria
(Nitrosomonas) to form nitrite (NO2), which is then
broken down by another type of bacteria (Nitrobacter)
to form nitrate (NO3). This conversion of ammonia to
nitrate and nitrite is called "nitrification." Nitrates can
then be used by plants in order to grow.
• Completing the nitrogen cycle, nitrates are reduced to
gaseous nitrogen by the process of "denitrification."
This process is performed by organisms such as fungi
and the bacteria Pseudomonas. These organisms break
down nitrates to obtain oxygen.

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Nitrification
• Nitrification is important in agricultural
systems, where fertilizer is often applied as
ammonia.
• Conversion of this ammonia to nitrate
increases nitrogen leaching because nitrate is
more water-soluble than ammonia.

NITRIFICATION
• Nitrification is the conversion of ammonia (NH3+) to nitrate (NO3-).
• This is a two-step process that is done with oxygen and and two
types of bacteria,
– Nitrosomonas (ammonia-oxidizers) and
– Nitrobacter (nitrite-oxidizers), known collectively as the nitrifiers.

– Ammonia + Oxygen + Alkalinity + Nitrosomonas = Nitrite

– Nitrite + Oxygen + Alkalinity + Nitrobacter = Nitrate

• Nitrite (NO2-) is the unstable form of nitrogen and is easily

converted because it does not wish to be in this form.
• The total conversion of ammonia to nitrate takes 4.6 parts oxygen
and 7.1 parts alkalinity to convert 1 part ammonia.

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FIRST STEP OF NITRIFICATION

• Ammonia is oxidised by bacteria to form nitrites.
• The chemical reaction which occurs is shown
below:
NH4+ (ammonia) + 2 H2O (water) >>> NO2- (nitrite) + 8 H+(hydrogen ions)
• For many years the bacteria responsible were
thought to be Nitrasomonas species
• but more recent research indicates that these
bacteria may do little or nothing in freshwater
aquaria, and that bacteria known as
Nitrosococcus may be the true ammonia-oxidisers
in our aquaria.

SECOND STEP OF NITRIFICATION

• nitrite is oxidised by bacteria to form nitrate. The
chemical reaction which occurs is shown below:
NO2- (nitrite) + H2O (water) >>> NO3- (nitrate) + 2 H+ (hydrogen ions)

• It was originally thought to be Nitrobacter species

which were responsible for nitrite conversion to
nitrate in aquaria,
• but again, recent research (by Dr. Timothy
Hovanec and others) indicates a different group
of bacteria - Nitrospira - are responsible.

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DENITRIFICATION
• Denitrification is the conversion of nitrate
(NO3-) to nitrogen gas (N2).
• Heterotrophic bacteria (capable of utilizing
only organic materials as a source of food)
utilize the nitrate as an oxygen source under
anoxic conditions to break down organic
substances.
• Nitrates + Organics + Heterotrophic bacteria =
Nitrogen gas, Oxygen and Alkalinity

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N2O
Denitrification
N2
(Pseudomonas)
Nitrogen fixation
NO2
(Klebsiella)
-
Anaerobic
Assimilation
Organic nitrogen NH3
Aerobic
Assimilation Ammonification Nitrogen fixation
NO3
(Rhizobium)
-

N2
(Nitrococcus) Nitrification
NO2 (Nitrosococcus)
-
28

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Siklus Nitrogen
• Fiksasi Nitrogen
Konversi nitrogen atmosfer menjadi amoniak
• Amonifikasi
Asam amino menjadi amonia
• Nitrifikasi
Konversi amonia menjadi nitrat
• Denitrifikasi
Reduksi nitrat menjadi gas nitrogen

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SUMBER NITROGEN

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SUMBER NITROGEN
• Sumber nitrogen ditemukan di dalam
atmosphere, yang dijumpai dalam bentuk gas
(N2) 78% bagian atmosfer.
• Nitrogen is most abundant in Earth’s
environment as N2 gas, which makes up about
78 percent of the air we breathe.
• Sumber lain yang juga besar terkandung di
dalam tanah dan lautan.

SUMBER
• Reservoir Nitrogen : Atmosfer dimana secara konstan
dialihkan melalui reaksi elektris dan bakteri nitrogen.

• Pada saat badai elektrik, sejumlah besar nitrogen

dioksidasi menjadi N2O5 dan bersatu dengan air
membentuk HNO3, jatuh ke bumi sebagai air hujan.

• Pada air tanah : 56% dari 1479 sampel mengandung

nitrogen < 0.3 mg/l

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BENTUK – BENTUK NITROGEN

SIFAT KIMIA
Nitrogen memiliki sifat kimia yang kompleks karena
adanya beberapa tingkatan oksidasi yang dilakukan oleh
mikroorganisme yang bisa memiliki muatan negatif
maupun positif tergantung dari jenis bakterinya (aerobik
atau anaerobik)

- III 0 I II III IV V
NH3 N2 N2O NO N2O3 NO2 N2O5

Amoniak NO2- Nitrit NO3- Nitrat

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Keberadaan Bentuk Nitrogen

Semua senyawa nitrogen kecuali N2 (komponen

utama atmosfer bumi) pada semua tingkatan
oksidasnya dapat menimbulkan masalah
lingkungan.

BENTUK GAS
• N2
• N2O (Nitrous Oxide)
• NO (Nitric Oxide)
• NO2 (Nitrogen Dioksida)

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• Nitrogen netral (N2) :

– Hasil reaksi,
– Lenyap dari larutan sebagai gelembung gas
– Diserap oleh ganggang dan bakteri untuk
pertumbuhannya

• Amoniak (NH3) :
– Ada di air tanah dan air permukaan (1–30 mg/l)
– Kadar amoniak tinggi di air permukaan : indikator
pencemaran
– menjadi NH4+ (amonium) pada pH rendah
– Berasal dari air seni dan tinja, oksidasi zat organis

Protein
• Nitrat sangat berguna sebagai pupuk untuk tumbuhan dan dikonversikan
menjadi protein.

NO3-+CO2+tumbuhan hijau+sinar matahari  protein

• Nitrogen di atmosfer juga di konversi menjadi protein oleh bakteri nitrogen.

N2+ Bakteri  protein

• Amonia dan senyawa ammonium bisa ditambahkan pada tanah untuk dapat
menghasilkan protein

NH3 + CO2 + Tanaman hijau + sinar matahari  protein

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Bentuk Nitrogen
• Inorganic forms include nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2),
ammonia (NH3), and nitrogen gas (N2).
• Inorganic nitrogen may exist in the free state as a gas
(N2), or as a nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), or ammonia
(NH3+).
• Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) are naturally occurring
inorganic ions that are part of the nitrogen cycle.

• Organic nitrogen is found in the cells of all living things

and is a component of proteins, peptides, and amino
acids.

NITROGEN ORGANIS

– Berasal dari proses penguraian

mikrobiologi secara alami maupun secara
buatan (IPAL)
– Melepaskan nitrogen sebagai Amoniak
atau senyawa kompleks sejenis lainnya

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Skema Senyawa Nitrogen

pH asam NH4+
Amoniak
Nitrogen
pH basa NH3
Kjedahl
Nitrogen
Organis
NITROGEN

Gas N2

Nitrit

Nitrat

NITROGEN IN WATER

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Common form of Nitrogen in Water

• Nitrit n nitrat
• Amonia

KOMBINASI DENGAN AIR

AMONIUM
• NH3 + H2O  NH4+ + OH-

NITRIT
• N2O3+H2O  2H+ + 2NO2-
NITRAT
• N2O5+H2O  2H+ + 2NO3-

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AMONIA-NITRIT-NITRAT
• Pada kondisi aerobik, terjadi oksidasi amonia menjadi nitrit yang dibantu oleh
bakteri nitrosomonas :
2NH3 + 3O2  2NO2- + 2H+ + 2H2O

2NH4+ + 3O2  2NO2- + 4H+ + 2H2O+energi

• Nitrit ini kemudian dioksidasi oleh bakteri nitrobakter menjadi nitrat

2NO2- + O2  2NO3- + energi

• Pada kondisi anaerobik nitrat dan nitrit direduksi dengan adanya proses
denitrifikasi
Nitrat  Nitrit  Amonia
 Gas Nitrogen

NITRIT AND NITRAT

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NITRIT - NITRAT
• NH3  NO2-  NO3- : Nitrifikasi
• NO3-  NO2-  NH3 : Denitrifikasi

• NO2- : Tidak stabil, mudah terurai

• NH3 + N2O  NH4OH

• N Organik
• Total N = NH3 + N Organik

NITRIT
• Nitrit merupakan garam atau ester dari asam nitrous (NO2-) yang
terbentuk dari kegiatan bakteri pada amonia dan nitrogen organik.

• Digunakan di industri sebagai bahan pengawet makanan (sodium dan

garan potassium), seringkali digunakan pada daging dan keju.

• Ketika nitrit ditemukan pada air baku, merupakan suatu indikator

bahwa ada kontaminasi bakteri atau terjadi inefektifitas desinfeksi

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NITRIT
– Keadaan sementara proses oksidasi antara
amoniak dan nitrat
– Biasa terjadi di IPAL, air sungai dan drainase
– Bisa berasal dari bahan inhibitor korosi pipa (back
flow)
– BERBAHAYA :
• bereaksi dengan hemoglobin  kematian
• menghasilkan nitrosamin  kanker
• Nitrite (NO2) is relatively short-lived in water
because it is quickly converted to nitrate by
bacteria.

NITRITES
• The nitrite level should always be zero in a mature tank
• the nitrite spike may persist longer than amonia, so if
there is a delay in testing after a problem has occurred,
it is more likely that nitrite will be detected.
• A nitrite level of only 0.1 ppm could prove harmful if
exposure is prolonged.
• Symptoms of nitrite poisoning include gasping and
rapid gill movements, which could be mistaken for a
shortage of oxygen.
• In extreme cases, fish can actually die of suffocation
because nitrite binds to the oxygen-carrying
component (haemoglobin) in the blood

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NITRITES EFFECTS
• Bacteria in water quickly convert nitrites (NO2-) to nitrates (NO3-).
• Nitrites can produce a serious condition in fish called "brown blood
disease".
• Nitrites also react directly with hemoglobin in human blood and other
warm-blooded animals to produce methemoglobin.
• Methemoglobin destroys the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen.
• This condition is especially serious in babies under three months of age.
• It causes a condition known as methemoglobinemia or "blue baby
syndrome".
• Water with nitrite levels exceeding 1.0 mg/L should not be used for
feeding babies.
• As with nitrite poisoning, fish may apppear to gasp for air at the surface,
and show rapid gill movement. Higher levels, of several ppm, can be fatal.

NITRAT
– Senyawa stabil
– Unsur penting untuk sintesa protein  jika terlalu
banyak + fosfat : alga blooming  menurunkan
DO
– Berasal dari buangan industri, pupuk, cat, bahan
peledak
– Nitrat tinggi  daerah pertanian : pupuk

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Nitrat
• Nitrate (NO3) is highly soluble (dissolves
easily) in water and is stable over a wide range
of environmental conditions.
• It is easily transported in streams and
groundwater.
• Nitrates feed plankton (microscopic plants and
animals that live in water), aquatic plants, and
algae, which are then eaten by fish.

NITRAT
• Nitrat merupakan garam atau ester dari asam
nitric (NO3-) atau merupakan hasil dari
stabilisasi aerobik nitrogen organik
• Sumber nitrat : mineral, tanah, air laut dan
atmosfer.
• Nitrat banyak digunakan sebagai penyubur /
pupuk, bahan pengawet makanan, dan agen
oksidasi pada industri kimia.

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NITRATES
• Water naturally contains less than 1 milligram
of nitrate-nitrogen per liter and is not a major
source of exposure.
• Higher levels indicate that the water has been
contaminated.
• State and federal laws set the maximum
allowable level of nitrate-nitrogen in public
drinking water at 10 mg/L (10 parts per
million).

NITRATES
• In the past, nitrate was considered essentially harmless to fish;
certainly it is far less toxic than ammonia or nitrite.
• It has been shown that levels of up to 1000 ppm may be required to
cause death, but the effects of lower levels on long term health are
not well understood.
• The sensitivity of different species to nitrate levels varies, and there
may be long term effects on general health, growth and breeding
ability.
• Generally, many aquarists seem to agree that keeping nitrates
below 50 ppm is necessary to prevent any long-term effects on fish
health, but below 25 ppm is more desirable.
• Remember that many fish may come from a natural environment
where there is little or no detectable nitrate. Fish which have been
aquarium bred for generations are more likely to tolerate nitrates.

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NITRATES EFFECTS
• Nitrate reactions (NO3-) in fresh water can
cause oxygen depletion. Thus, aquatic
organisms depending on the supply of oxygen
in the stream will die

Nitrit and Nitrat

• Excessive concentrations of nitrate and/or nitrite can be harmful to
humans and wildlife.
• Nitrate is of most concern for humans.
• Nitrate is broken down in our intestines to become nitrite.
• Nitrite reacts with hemoglobin in human blood to produce
methemoglobin, which limits the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.
• This condition is called methemoglobinemia or "blue baby" syndrome
(because the nose and tips of ears can appear blue from lack of oxygen).
• It is especially serious for infants, because they lack the enzyme necessary
to correct this condition.
• Wells contaminated by sewage or agricultural runoff are a major concern
in some areas, because of the possibility of water high in nitrite/nitrates
and the subsequent increased risk of blue baby disease.

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Nitrit and Nitrat

• High nitrate and nitrite levels can also cause methemoglobinemia in
livestock and other animals.
• High concentrations of nitrate and/or nitrite can produce "brown
blood disease" in fish.
• Nitrite enters the bloodstream through the gills and turns the blood
a chocolate-brown color.
• As in humans, nitrite reacts with hemoglobin to form
methemoglobin.
• Brown blood cannot carry sufficient amounts of oxygen, and
affected fish can suffocate despite adequate oxygen concentration
in the water.
• This accounts for the gasping behavior often observed in fish with
brown blood disease, even when oxygen levels are relatively high
(Mississippi State University, 1998).

Nitrit and Nitrat

• If excessive amounts of phosphorus and
nitrates are added to the water, algae and
aquatic plants can be produced in large
quantities.
• When these algae die, bacteria decompose
them, and use up oxygen.
• This process is called eutrophication.
• Dissolved oxygen concentrations can drop too
low for fish to breathe, leading to fish kills.

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AMONIA

Amonia
• Ammonia, another inorganic form of nitrogen, is the
least stable form of nitrogen in water.
• Ammonia is easily transformed to nitrate in waters that
contain oxygen and can be transformed to nitrogen gas
in waters that are low in oxygen.
• Ammonia is found in water in two forms - the
ammonium ion (NH4+), and dissolved, unionized (no
electrical charge) ammonia gas (NH3).
• Total ammonia is the sum of ammonium and unionized
ammonia.
• The dominant form depends on the pH and
temperature of the water.

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Amonia
• The reaction between the two forms is shown by this equation:
NH3 + H2O « NH4+ + OH-
• The form of ammonia changes easily when pH changes.
• As pH increases, H+ concentration decreases, and OH- concentrations increase.
• This makes the equation above move left, increasing the amount of aqueous NH 3.
• When the pH is below 8.75, NH4+ predominates.
• At pH 9.24, about half of aqueous NH3 is transformed to NH4+.
• Above pH 9.75, NH3 predominates (Hem, 1985).

• Unionized ammonia (NH3) is much more toxic to aquatic organisms than the
ammonium ion (NH4+).
• Toxic concentrations of ammonia in humans may cause loss of equilibrium,
convulsions, coma, and death.
• Ammonia concentrations can affect hatching and growth rates of fish; changes in
tissues of gills, liver, and kidneys may occur during structural development.

AMMONIA
• The ammonia level should always be zero FOR AQUARIUM
• The total ammonia in an aquarium will be present in two
forms:
– ammonia (NH3) and
– the ammonium ion (NH4+)
• The proportion will depend mainly on:
– pH,
At alkaline pH, more of the ammonia will be present as the
more toxic NH3, while at acidic pH, more of the less toxic
ammonium (NH4) will be present. Ammonia poisoning is
therefore more common at alkaline pH
– to a lesser extent temperature.

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AMMONIA EFFECTS
• Ammonia can cause damage at levels of only
0.1 ppm
• There may be haemorrhaging and destruction
of mucus membranes, the gills are particularly
likely to be damaged, and may appear
reddened.

NITROGEN IN SEA WATER

• Senyawa nitrogen dalam air laut terdapat dalam tiga bentuk utama yang
berada dalam keseimbangan yaitu amoniak, nitrit dan nitrat.
• Jika oksigen normal maka keseimbangan akan menuju nitrat.
• Pada saat oksigen rendah keseimbangan akan menuju amoniak dan
sebaliknya.
• Dengan demikian nitrat adalah hasil akhir dari oksida nitrogen dalam laut
(Hutagalung dan Rozak, 1997).
• Elemen penting yang merupakan determinasi produktifitas organik air
adalah nitrat.
• Elemen ini sangat kaya pada kedalaman antara 500 m sampai 1000 m.
Pada zona euphotik dipergunakan oleh fitoplankton hingga ke permukaan
air (Bal and Rao, 1984).

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KADAR DAN STANDART

Kadar Nitrogen secara Umum

Jenis Air NH3 Kjedahl NO3- NO2-

Air sungai bersih (u < 0.5 1 - 10 10–50 0-1

mandi)
Air sumur, air PAM 0–1 0-5 10-50 0

Air buangan penduduk 70 -120 0-2

40-65
- Setelah pengendapan 1 50 - 90 0-2
jam
- Setelah pengolahan < 10 < 20 20-100 0 - 10
biologis tahap 2 (daerah
tropis)

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STANDART
• WHO : 10 mg/l nitrat / nitrogen
• USEPA : 10 mg/l untuk total Nitrat+Nitrit
• Air sungai NH3 = 0,5 mg/l
• Air minum :
– NH3 = 0 mg/l
– NO2- = 0 mg/l
– NO3- = 20 mg/l
• PP dan PerMenKes : 10 mg/l (nitrat)
• PP dan PerMenKes : 1.0 mg/l (nitrit)

KADAR NITRAT
• Kadar nitrat yang tinggi di dalam air minum dapat
menyebabkan terganggunya sistem pencernaan manusia.
• Apabila kadarnya melebihi 1,0 mg/L di dalam makanan bayi
maka hal ini dapat menyebabkan gejala blue baby yang dapat
menyebabkan kematian.
• Untuk keperluan konsumsi sehari-hari kadar nitrat dalam air
tidak boleh lebih dari 10 mg/L.
• Sumber air untuk perikanan akan turun kualitasnya apabila
kadar nitrat lebih dari 0,5 mg/L (Adams et al., 1999).

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standart
• NITRATES AND NITRITES
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in drinking water (U.S. EPA Office
of Water, Drinking Water and Health Advisories).:
– Nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N), maximum contaminant level (MCL) : 10 milligram per liter (mg/L)
– Nitrite as nitrogen (NO2-N) , MCL of 1 mg/L

• For domestic water supply (Colorado) :

– the combined total of nitrite and nitrate shall not exceed 10 mg/L as N,
– nitrite concentration shall not exceed 1 mg/L as N at the point of intake.

• For aquatic life :

– do not give a maximum concentration for nitrate.
– Maximum concentrations of nitrite allowed for Class 1 Aquatic Life water depend on whether
salmonids (such as trout) and other sensitive fish species are present and on chloride
concentration in the water.

• For agriculture water,

– the combined total of nitrite and nitrate shall not exceed 100 mg/L (as N),
– and the nitrite concentration shall not exceed 10 mg/L (as N).

standart
• Ammonia
• For domestic water supply,
– chronic total ammonia concentrations shall not exceed 0.5 mg/L as N at the
point of intake
– that is, ammonia concentrations should not exceed 0.5 mg/L constantly over a
30-day period at the location where water enters standard treatment for
drinking water).
• For Aquatic Life are based on :
– unionized (no electrical charge) ammonia (NH3).
– However, monitoring programs typically measure total ammonia (which
includes unionized ammonia and the ionized ammonium ion (NH4+)).
– There are no aquatic life regulations for total ammonia because the ionized
form, which usually comprises most of the total ammonia, is considered
nontoxic.
– The percentage of unionized ammonia can be calculated from the total
ammonia concentration on a case by case basis, with a formula that factors in
temperature and pH of the water being analyzed.

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standart
• Ammonia
• "Class 1 Cold Water Aquatic Life“ or "Class 2 Cold Water Aquatic Life“ :
– should not have chronic unionized ammonia concentrations above 0.02 mg/L as N.
– "Chronic" means the level not to be exceeded by the concentration for either a single representative
sample or calculated as an average of all samples collected during a thirty-day period).
• Waters classified as "Class 1 Warm Water Aquatic Life" should not have chronic
unionized ammonia concentrations above 0.06 mg/L as N.
• For waters classified as "Class 2 Warm Water Aquatic Life," the maximum allowed
chronic unionized ammonia concentration will be in the 0.06 to 0.10 mg/L (as N)
range, depending on aquatic life present and on other water quality factors.
• CDPHE-WQCD regulations state that acute maximum unionized ammonia
concentrations allowed for aquatic life depend on the class of water, the presence
of cold water species, and on temperature and pH of the water.
• "Acute" means the level not to be exceeded by the concentration in a single
sample or calculated as an average of all samples collected during a one-day
period.

SUMBER – SUMBER PENCEMAR

NITROGEN

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SOURCES OF NITROGEN IN WATER

BODIES
• The major routes of entry of nitrogen into
bodies of water are municipal and industrial
wastewater, septic tanks, and animal wastes.
• Common sources of nitrate contamination
include fertilizers, animals wastes, septic
tanks, municipal sewage treatment systems,
and decaying plant debris.

• Sumber pencemaran nitrat dalam tubuh air umumnya

berasal dari limbah industri, septic tanks, limbah hewan
(misalnya burung dan ikan), dan limbah dari angkutan air
(perahu kapal, dan lain-lain).
• Selain itu limbah dari lahan-lahan pertanian akibat aktivitas
pemupukan, penggunaan pestisida, dan lain-lain
memberikan kontribusi yang sangat besar terhadap polusi
nitrat di dalam air permukaan (surface water) dan air
bawah tanah (groundwater) (Steenvoorden, 1989).
• Nitrat yang terdapat di dalam sumber air seperti air sumur
dan sungai umumnya berasal dari pencemaran bahan-
bahan kimia (pupuk urea, ZA, dan lain-lain) di bagian hulu.
• Pencemaran ini disebabkan oleh tingkat kehilangan pupuk
N yang tinggi, diantaranya melalui proses pencucian dan
aliran permukaan

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• Kadar nitrat dalam mata air tergantung aktivitas sumber

pencemar di bagian hulu, aktivitas penggunaan air sumur itu
sendiri, dan tingkat pencucian serta aliran permukaan. Selain
itu, kadar nitrat tersebut juga tergantung potensial redok
(Eh).
• Apabila nilai Eh turun (reduktif), nitrat akan cepat hilang
menjadi gas N2O dan atau N2 melalui proses denitrifikasi.
• Pada kondisi reduktif, N-amonium lebih dominan daripada
N-nitrat,
• namun sebaliknya dalam kondisi oksidatif N-amonium bisa
berubah menjadi N-nitrat melalui proses nitrifikasi.
• Dengan demikian maka pencucian N dalam sistem yang
reduktif akan menghasilkan NH4+, sedangkan dalam sistem
yang oksidatif akan menghasilkan NO3-.

Sumber Pencemar Nitrogen

• Wastewater and Septic System Effluent
• Fertilizer Runoff
• Animal Waste
• Fossil Fuels
• Industrial Discharge

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Wastewater and Septic System

Effluent
• Human waste is significant contributor of nitrogen to water.
• Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are decomposition products from urea and protein,
which are in human waste.
• Ammonia is an ingredient in many household cleaning products and is sometimes
used to remove carbonate from hard water.
• Therefore, these nitrogen species go down the drains in our houses and
businesses, and can enter streams from wastewater treatment plant (WWTPs)
effluent, illegal sanitary sewer connections, and poorly functioning septic systems.
• Nutrients in sewage effluent have been among the primary targets of pollution-
control legislation, beginning with the Clean Water Act in 1972.
• Organic forms of nitrogen have largely been controlled by upgrading treatment
plants, and advanced treatment processes have been used to decrease ammonia
discharge.
• However, these processes result in an increase in nitrate discharge, so the total
nitrogen discharge does not change.
• Therefore, concerns about fish toxicity have decreased, but the potential for
eutrophication has not changed (Mueller and Helsel, 1999).

Fertilizer Runoff

• Fertilizer is a major influence on nitrogen concentrations in

the environment.
• Commercial nitrogen fertilizers are applied either as
ammonia or nitrate, but ammonia is rapidly converted to
nitrate in the soil.
• Animal manure is also used as a nitrogen fertilizer in some
areas.
• Organic nitrogen and urea in the manure are converted to
ammonia and, ultimately, to nitrate in the soil.
• Nitrate that is not used by plants washes from farmlands
and residential and commercial lawns into storm drains and
nearby streams, or seeps into groundwater.

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Animal Waste

• A significant amount of nitrogen is released in the

wastes produced by animals.
• This can be a serious problem in waters near cattle
feedlots, hog farms, dairies, and barnyards.
• Ducks and geese contribute a heavy load of nitrogen if
they are present in large numbers.
• Excretions of aquatic organisms are very rich in
ammonia, a decay product of animal proteins, but the
amount of nitrogen they add to waters is usually small.
• Through the process of nitrification, ammonia is
oxidized to nitrite and then to nitrate in water.

Fossil Fuels

• The burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal in cars,

trucks, and power plants produces many by-products.
• Coal and petroleum generally contain about 1 percent
nitrogen (Hem, 1985).
• Part of the nitrogen is converted to the gas nitric oxide (NO)
during the burning of the fuel.
• Nitric oxide is converted by sunlight and photochemical
processes in air to nitrogen oxide gases (NO and NO2, which
are commonly referred together as NOx), which are a major
component of smog.
• Nitrogen oxide gases are a major contributor to acid rain.

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Industrial Discharge

• Many industries use nitrogen during processing.

• Nitrite is sometimes used as a corrosion inhibitor in
industrial process water.
• Ammonia is used in the production of nitric acid, urea
and other nitrogen compounds, and in the production
of ice and in refrigerating plants.
• Ammonia is also used in cleaning supplies and to
remove carbonate from hard water.
• Water from industries is usually discharged to a
wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and may end up
in a downstream water body if not completely
removed in the WWTP.

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