Abstract
An inexpensive modification of the commonly used manual nitrate (NO3)‐nitrogen (N) analysis for soil extracts is described. This procedure uses multiple reductors of copperized cadmium (Cd) wire threaded through Teflon tubing and a peristaltic pump to rapidly pass a low volume of soil extract through the reductors at a constant flow rate. In excess of 150 prepared samples can be processed daily with minimum waste generation. Efficiency of reduction is >98% and precision of analysis (coefficient of variation) for replicate standards of known NO3‐N concentration is excellent, at <0.5% over the concentration range 0.025 to 0.2 μg NO3‐N mL‐1. Column life and storage characteristics are high, at >250 samples per column and one month, respectively. Column activation and regeneration in these wire type reductors are simpler and less tedious than for reductors constructed of copperized Cd granules.
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