Nitrification: Interference by phenolic compounds

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Abstract
Effects of several phenolic acids, tea seed cotyledon, and tea waste (factory waste) powder on the rate of nitrification in aerated solution cultures were investigated. Both phenolic acids and tea seed cotyledon powder reduced the amount of nitrate (NO3) produced from ammonium (NH4) or nitrite (NO2) oxidation significantly. When phenolic acids or tea seed powder were mixed with aerated NH4 or NO2 solutions under sterile (abiotic) conditions separately, there was a considerable loss of both NH4‐N and NO2‐N. It was concluded that the inhibitory effects of phenolic compounds on nitrification reported in literature are mainly due to fixation of NH4 and volatilization of NO2 by such chemicals resulting in a lower availability of substrates to nitrifying bacteria.