A method for nitrite removal in nitrate N and O isotope analyses

Julie Granger; Daniel Mikhail Sigman; Maria G. Prokopenko; Moritz F. Lehmann; Philippe D. Tortell

doi:10.4319/lom.2006.4.205

A method for nitrite removal in nitrate N and O isotope analyses

Julie Granger
, Daniel Mikhail Sigman
, Maria G. Prokopenko
, Moritz F. Lehmann
, Philippe D. Tortell

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

79 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	205-212
Number of pages	8
Journal	Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
Volume	4
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4319/lom.2006.4.205
State	Published - Jul 1 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Ocean Engineering

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10.4319/lom.2006.4.205

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title = "A method for nitrite removal in nitrate N and O isotope analyses",

abstract = "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 \textasciitilde{}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.",

author = "Julie Granger and Sigman, \{Daniel Mikhail\} and Prokopenko, \{Maria G.\} and Lehmann, \{Moritz F.\} and Tortell, \{Philippe D.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014, by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.",

year = "2006",

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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.

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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JO - Limnology and Oceanography: Methods

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A method for nitrite removal in nitrate N and O isotope analyses

Abstract

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