EN
Tests For: Nitrate in Natural, Drinking and Waste Waters
Tests Range: 0–20 mg/L
Reagent Chemistry Used: CNED hydrochloride
Basis of Test Method: Standard Method 4500-Nitrate-E
Method Detection Limit*: 0.029 mg/L
Limit of Quantification**: **: 0.094 mg/L
Nitrates are normally present in natural, drinking and waste waters. Nitrates enter water supplies from the breakdown of natural vegetation, the use of chemical fertilisers in modern agriculture and from the oxidation of nitrogen compounds in sewage effluents and industrial wastes.
Nitrate is an important control test for water supplies. Drinking waters containing excessive amounts of nitrates can cause methaemoglobinaemia in bottle-fed infants (blue babies). The EEC has set a recommended maximum of 5.7 mg/L N (25 mg/L NO3) and an absolute maximum of 11.3 mg/L N (50 mg/L NO3) for nitrate in drinking water.
The Palintest Nitratest method provides a simple test for nitrate nitrogen over the range 0–1 mg/L N. The test can however be extended to cover the range 0–20 mg/L by a simple dilution technique.
In the Palintest Nitratest method nitrate is first reduced to nitrite, the resulting nitrite is then determined by a diazonium reaction to form a reddish dye.
The reduction stage is carried out using the unique zinc-based Nitratest Powder, and Nitratest Tablet which aids rapid flocculation after the one minute contact period. The test is conducted in a special Nitratest Tube – a graduated sample container with hopper bottom to facilitate settlement and decanting of the sample.
The nitrite resulting from the reduction stage, is determined by reaction with sulphanilic acid in the presence of N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylene diamine to form a reddish dye. The reagents are provided in a single Nitricol tablet which is simply added to the test solution.
The intensity of the colour produced in the test is proportional to the nitrate con¬centration and is measured using a Palintest Photometer.
The Nitratest method will also respond to any nitrite present in the sample. In most natural and drinking waters the amount of nitrite will be small in comparison to the nitrate concentration. If it is desired to correct for nitrite, determine nitrite con¬centration (as mg/l N) in the prescribed manner and deduct from the nitrate concentration (as mg/l N) obtained from the Nitratest procedure.
