Isotopic tracer techniques for identification of sources of nitrate pollution

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · J. Environ. Qual., v. 2, no. 3, pp. 382-387

OSTI ID:4346273

Edwards, A P

A comparison was made of the use of natural variations in /sup 15/N abundance vs. /sup 15/N-enriched and /sup 15/N-depleted fertilizers in determining the contribution of inorganic ammonium fertilizers to the NO/sub 3/-N extracted from a Webster soil following a 30C aerobic incubation for 2.5 weeks. The natural abundance approach was unsatisfactory even in this simplified system and its lack of success is shown to be due in part to replicate variability. The fluctuations in /sup 15/N-content of the nitrate from carefully replicated samples of each fertilizer treatment were of the same order of magnitude as the mean difference between the /sup 15/N-contents of natural ferttlizer-N and the soil-derived NO/sub 3/-N. Therefore, the use of labeled fertilizers with /sup 15/ N-contents substantially higher or lower than the natural abundance figure is the only valid approach to the measurement of fertilizer contribution to the NO/sub 3/ -N appearing in tile drains under field condition. (auth)

• Research Organization: Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL
• NSA Number: NSA-29-026853
• OSTI ID: 4346273
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual., v. 2, no. 3, pp. 382-387, Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual., v. 2, no. 3, pp. 382-387; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*LAND POLLUTION-- TRACER TECHNIQUES
*NITROGEN 15-- MASS SPECTROSCOPY
*SOILS-- NITROGEN 15
*TRACER TECHNIQUES-- NITROGEN 15
ABUNDANCE
DIFFUSION
FERTILIZERS
LEACHING
N44420* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radiometric Techniques--Soil
NITRATES
NITROGEN 14
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
WATER POLLUTION