TY - JOUR
T1 - A method for nitrite removal in nitrate N and O isotope analyses
AU - Granger, Julie
AU - Sigman, Daniel Mikhail
AU - Prokopenko, Maria G.
AU - Lehmann, Moritz F.
AU - Tortell, Philippe D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.
PY - 2006/7/1
Y1 - 2006/7/1
N2 - We describe a method to remove nitrite from seawater and freshwater samples to determine the nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotopic composition of nitrate in aqueous samples (15N/14N and 18O/16O, respectively). This method is simple, inexpensive, and effective in the removal of nitrite without compromising the natural N and O isotopic composition of nitrate. Moreover, the method is nontoxic and compatible with the "denitrifier method" for nitrate N and O isotope analysis. Nitrite is removed from solution by reduction to nitric oxide (NO) gas using ascorbic acid at a pH of ~3.5. The NO produced is continually degassed with an inert gas during the reaction, preventing O2 from reacting with NO to form new nitrate. Nitrate N and O isotope ratios were measured with the denitrifier method. The precision of isotope measurements of nitrate by the denitrifier method after nitrite removal averaged ±0.34‰ for 15N/14N and ±0.39‰ for 18O/16O.
AB - We describe a method to remove nitrite from seawater and freshwater samples to determine the nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotopic composition of nitrate in aqueous samples (15N/14N and 18O/16O, respectively). This method is simple, inexpensive, and effective in the removal of nitrite without compromising the natural N and O isotopic composition of nitrate. Moreover, the method is nontoxic and compatible with the "denitrifier method" for nitrate N and O isotope analysis. Nitrite is removed from solution by reduction to nitric oxide (NO) gas using ascorbic acid at a pH of ~3.5. The NO produced is continually degassed with an inert gas during the reaction, preventing O2 from reacting with NO to form new nitrate. Nitrate N and O isotope ratios were measured with the denitrifier method. The precision of isotope measurements of nitrate by the denitrifier method after nitrite removal averaged ±0.34‰ for 15N/14N and ±0.39‰ for 18O/16O.
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U2 - 10.4319/lom.2006.4.205
DO - 10.4319/lom.2006.4.205
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33748704056
SN - 1541-5856
VL - 4
SP - 205
EP - 212
JO - Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
JF - Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
IS - 7
ER -