Distillation solution with and without indicator for nitrogen‐15 measurement by optical emission spectrometry

Abstract

Optical emission spectroscopy provides a rapid and precise method for determining ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratios of ¹⁵N‐enriched plant and/or soil samples. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of an indicator added in the distillation solution on the success rate of tube lighting in the optical emission spectrometer over a large range of N concentration in ¹⁵N enriched plant samples. One‐hundred‐eighty plant samples with large ranges of N concentration (4 to 30 g.kg^‐1 dry weight) and ¹⁵N atom enrichment (0.368 to 1.635%) were analyzed. Our data suggest that there was no difference in the success rate of tube lighting in emission spectroscopy and in ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio measured between samples prepared with and without addition of indicator in the distillation solution.