Determination of 15N abundance in nanogram pools of NO3- and NO2- by denitrification bioassay and mass spectrometry

Suspensions of two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ON12 and ON12-1) were used to reduce NO3- and NO2-, respectively, to N2O. The evolved was quantified by gas chromatography with electron capture detection, and the N abundance was determined by mass spectrometry with a special inlet system and tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1994-07, Vol.60 (7), p.2467-2472
Main Authors: Hojberg, O, Johansen, H.S, Sorensen, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
ANION
ANIONES
AZOTE
Biological and medical sciences
CHROMATOGRAPHIE EN PHASE GAZEUSE
CROMATOGRAFIA DE GASES
DOSAGE BIOLOGIQUE
ENSAYO BIOLOGICO
ESPECTROMETRIA DE MASAS
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GASES
GAZ
ISOTOPE
ISOTOPOS
Methods
Microbial ecology
NITRATE
NITRATOS
NITROGENO
OXIDO NITROSO
OXYDE NITREUX
PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA
REDUCCION
REDUCTION
Soil
SPECTROMETRIE DE MASSE
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Summary:Suspensions of two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ON12 and ON12-1) were used to reduce NO3- and NO2-, respectively, to N2O. The evolved was quantified by gas chromatography with electron capture detection, and the N abundance was determined by mass spectrometry with a special inlet system and triple-collector detection. Sample gas containing unknown N2O pools as small as 0.5 ng of N was analyzed by use of a spike technique, in which a reference gas of N2O of natural 15N abundance was added to obtain enough total N for the mass spectrometer. In NO3- or NO2- pools, the N abundance could be determined in samples as small as approximately 3.5 ng of N. No cross-contamination took place between the and NO2- pools. The excellent separation of NO3- and NO2- pools, small sample size required, and low contamination risk during N2O analysis offer great advantages in isotope studies of inorganic N transformations by, e.g., nitrifying or denitrifying bacteria in the environment
ISSN:0099-2240
1098-5336