| 1 | The soil is enriched with nitrates. | |
| 2 | Bone-meal and nitrates are common fertilizers. | |
| 3 | Then anaerobic bacteria take that nitrate and turn it into harmless nitrogen gas. | |
| 4 | Aerobic bacteria chew up the ammonia and turn it first into nitride and then to nitrate. | |
| 5 | Then they immerse this electrode in a potassium nitrate electrolyte solution. |