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15 N Analysis of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide by cryotrap enrichment using a gas chromatograph quadrupole mass spectrometer and its application to 15 N‐tracer investigations of NO/N 2 O formation in soil
Author(s) -
Sich I.,
Russow R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0231(19990715)13:13<1325::aid-rcm622>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - chemistry , quadrupole mass analyzer , nitrous oxide , mass spectrometry , analytical chemistry (journal) , nitrogen , atmosphere (unit) , tracer , trace gas , gas chromatography , oxide , mass spectrum , environmental chemistry , chromatography , physics , organic chemistry , nuclear physics , thermodynamics
Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) are two important trace gases in the atmosphere. Determining the concentration and 15 N abundance of NO and N 2 O in air is difficult owing to their very low concentration in the atmosphere (NO < 1 ppb(v); N 2 O ≈ 0.32 ppm(v)). Although 15 N analysis of N 2 O in ambient concentrations can be carried out using a gas chromatograph quadrupole mass spectrometer system (GC‐QMS) and a dosage of 2 mL of air by means of a sample loop, this system is not sensitive enough to measure the ambient concentration of NO and its 15 N abundance. Therefore the concentration of NO must be enriched by cryotrapping (cooling with liquid nitrogen). The 15 N analytical method developed enables the sensitive and sufficiently precise measurement of 15 N‐enriched NO in air. Furthermore, the analytical equipment developed greatly improves existing 15 N 2 O analysis using the GC‐QMS technique. An application of the 15 N analysis method will be shown for an investigation on the NO and N 2 O formation in black earth soil after 15 NH 4 + , 15 NO 3 − and 15 NO 2 − labelling. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.