Deltec NF Sulphur Nitrate Filter

Operation of the Sulphur Nitrate Filter is based on the natural principle of reduction of nitrate NO3 to nitrogen gas N2 using a colony of anaerobic bacteria in a low oxygen environment.

The bacteria require a food source and oxygen to survive. The food source is the sulphur within the reactor and as they are anaerobic bacteria and only grow in the low oxygen water, they must obtain the oxygen from another source. The bacteria take oxygen from the nitrate molecule by reduction, first from Nitrate NO3 to Nitrite No2 and then further from Nitrite NO2 to Nitrogen gas N2.

Like all nitrate filters, there is a period of seeding and creating an anoxic environment within the reactor, which can take some time however once established the filters are very robust and efficient in their ability to remove nitrate from the water.