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A Bacterial Method for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of Nitrate in Seawater and Freshwater
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    A Bacterial Method for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of Nitrate in Seawater and Freshwater
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    Department of Geosciences, Guyot Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, Magistère de Sciences de la Terre, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d’Italie, Lyon, France 69364, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, and U.S. Geological Survey, 431 National Center, Reston, VA 20192
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    Analytical Chemistry

    Cite this: Anal. Chem. 2001, 73, 17, 4145–4153
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    https://doi.org/10.1021/ac010088e
    Published July 27, 2001
    Copyright © 2001 American Chemical Society

    Abstract

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    We report a new method for measurement of the isotopic composition of nitrate (NO3-) at the natural-abundance level in both seawater and freshwater. The method is based on the isotopic analysis of nitrous oxide (N2O) generated from nitrate by denitrifying bacteria that lack N2O-reductase activity. The isotopic composition of both nitrogen and oxygen from nitrate are accessible in this way. In this first of two companion manuscripts, we describe the basic protocol and results for the nitrogen isotopes. The precision of the method is better than 0.2‰ (1 SD) at concentrations of nitrate down to 1 μM, and the nitrogen isotopic differences among various standards and samples are accurately reproduced. For samples with 1 μM nitrate or more, the blank of the method is less than 10% of the signal size, and various approaches may reduce it further.

    Copyright © 2001 American Chemical Society

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     Corresponding author. Fax:  609-258-1274. E-mail:  [email protected].

     Princeton University.

     École Normale Supérieure de Lyon.

    §

     Harvard University.

     U.S. Geological Survey.

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    Cite this: Anal. Chem. 2001, 73, 17, 4145–4153
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    https://doi.org/10.1021/ac010088e
    Published July 27, 2001
    Copyright © 2001 American Chemical Society

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