Inhibition factor of ammonification in stored urine with fecal contamination

Abstract

Inhibition factors of urea hydrolysis caused by fecal contamination as source of urease were investigated. The urea hydrolysis was described by initial ammonification rate (IAR). Three factors for the inhibition (pH, free ammonia nitrogen (FAN) and salinity) were investigated in this study. It was found that the optimum pH value for the urea hydrolysis was obtained at pH 7 (30°C). Similar results were obtained from pH 5 to pH 8 whereas pH 9 provided a little amount of negative effect on the hydrolysis. Significant effect of the FAN as inhibition factor on the urea hydrolysis was obtained in the urea solution: the hydrolysis was observed within 120 mg-N/l of the FAN level in artificial urea solution with fecal contamination. However in storage process of real urine the urea hydrolysis was observed until the FAN level increased up to 2,000 mg-N/l. Salinity obviously provided negative effect on the urea hydrolysis in stored urine with fecal contamination at 30°C. It was assumed that high concentration of the NaCl (150 g/l) was required to achieve 50% reduction of the IAR.