[Isotope analysis of ammonium and nitrate: A review on measured methods and their application]
Dong Wei Liu1, Ying Tu1,2, Yun Ting Fang1,3
1Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
Abstract:
In the past several decades, a variety of methods have been developed for measuring the isotopic composition of ammonium (δ15N) and nitrate (δ15N and δ18O). This review summarized the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Nowadays, the most popular method for measu-ring δ15N of ammonium is the combined hypobromite (BrO-) and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) me-thod, while for δ15N and δ18O of nitrate is the denitrifier method and the sodium azide (NaN3) me-thod. These methods convert NH4+ or NO3- into nitrous oxide (N2O) and measure its isotopic compositions, with higher analytical precision because of the lower background concentration of atmospheric N2O. Accordingly, these methods are suitable for the samples with lower N concentration, and normally require 10-60 nmol N. The development of new methods for measuring N isotopic composition has greatly stimulated the studies in nitrogen cycling worldwide.
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