Abstract
The δ 15N-value has often tentatively been used for the assignment of nitrate to its origin. However, the very complex correlations between the different nitrogen pools, mostly accompanied by isotope discriminations, oppose a very limited application of this method. On the other hand, the oxygen isotope abundance should be more indicative, because industrially produced NO − 3 must nearly exclusively contain oxygen from O 2 ( δ 18 O = +23.5%.), while NO − 3 originating from a nitrification process must have water (δ 18O ≅ -10%.) as the main oxygen source. For the proof of this reflection a method for the precise oxygen isotope analysis of NO − 3 was developed. Its application to the δ-value determination of commercial fertilizers and NO − 3 formed by nitrification absolutely confirmed the above predictions. Similarly, the isotope abundance of NO − 3-samples from ground and drinking water of known origin corresponded to the expected values. On the basis of these results and taking into account the known isotope abundance shifts due to isotope effects of nitrification and denitrification, a diagram between δ 15N- and δ 18O-values for NO − 3 was developed, which permitted the assignment of NO − 3 in unknown water samples to its probable source and origin.
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