Influence of ammonium ion on bacterial struvite production

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Abstract
The influence of ammonium ion on struvite precipitation by 54 bacterial strains isolated from soil and fresh water was investigated. The availability of ammonium made struvite precipitation by some strains possible. However, in others the presence of this ion in itself was not the only factor required for struvite production. Bacterial formation of struvite may involve the adsorption of magnesium and phosphate ions, which, together with the release of ammonium ions, may form a microenvironment in the vicinity of the cell in which ions may accumulate in amounts sufficient to trigger crystal formation.