An improved fast and high throughput method for the sequential measurement of nitrate and nitrite in water samples

Description of the technology

This fast and efficient method to determine sequentially the levels of nitrite and nitrate in water samples in low concentrations (<0.05 - 30 μM ). The application of this method would render possible the design of portable measuring units to determine the concentrations of nitrite and nitrate in water samples. Its owner offers the license to those able to develope commercial or industrial applications of this scientific result.

Specifications

Comparison of the patented method with the established cadmium column method using samples from a variety of salinities and environments (fresh water reservoir, sediment pore water, estuarine water samples and samples from an acid mine drainage impacted reservoir) showed good agreement between the two methods (paired t-test , t = -0736, p = 0.472, n = 17). Proving that the vanadium reduction method using spectrophotometry does not bias the results.

Main advantages of its use

• Allows the analysis to be performed in small sample volumes (≤1 mL) for the determination of both NO3- and NO2- thus reducing incurred costs
• Allows to measure first nitrite and then nitrate in the same volume of sample
• Has a detection limit <0.05 µM for the determination of NO3- + NO2- concentrations lower than 30 µM.
• In its standard form allows analyzing efficiently large batches (~60 samples) in less than one hour
• Is efficient in samples from a variety of environments (fresh water reservoir, sediment pore water, estuarine water samples and samples from an acid mine drainage impacted reservoir).

Applications

• A portable measurement kit for the determination of nitrate and nitrite in the same sample can be developed.
• As a result of this adaptation a new module for an nutrient autoanalyser system could be produced reducing sample and reagent costs to half.