Autoxidation and acetylene-accelerated oxidation of NO in a 2-phase system: Implications for the expression of denitrification in ex situ experiments

► The kinetics of NO oxidation in typical ex situ denitrification experiments can be simulated by simple models. ► Acetylene accelerates NO oxidation only if oxygen concentration exceed 0.19 μL L−1 in the headspace. ► Acetylene-accelerated NO oxidation was utilized to elucidate the role of NO in inducing denitrification in soil bacteria. ► Early accumulation of NO during oxygen depletion exerts a strong positive feedback on the induction of denitrification.