Atmospheric nitrogen is a reliable standard for natural 15N abundance measurements
Abstract
Research based on 15N stable isotope variations in natural compounds is expanding in scientific fields such as biogeochemistry (isotope fractionation effects measurements1-7), metabolic studies8,9, hydrology (research of NO3- pollution origin in aquifers10-14), agronomy (estimate of N2 symbiotic fixation by legumes15-17) and oceanography (determination of the source of sedimentary nitrogen18-21). However, intercomparison of results obtained in different laboratories is a problem due to the lack of intercalibrated standards. Atmospheric nitrogen has been chosen by many investigators as a standard20,22,23 and I present here a simple method for the preparation of atmospheric N2 as a standard for δ15N expression with excellent reproducibility. The results indicate a wide homogeneity in isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrogen which appears to be a reliable standard for 15N natural abundance measurements.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- June 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1038/303685a0
- Bibcode:
- 1983Natur.303..685M