A New Method for the Simultaneous Determination of the Amount of N2O Evolved from Soil and its N-15 Abundance

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Abstract
A new method for the simultaneous determination of the amount of N2O evolved from soil and its N-15 abundance was developed. Gases evolved from soil were collected in a 1-liter Tedlar® bag using a special gas collecting device. Nitrous oxide (N2O) in the collected sample gases was concentrated in the glass tube trap with liquid nitrogen. The collected N2O was released and measured by thermal conductivity detector gas chromatography. By this system, a quantity of 0.1 μg N/liter sample could be determined for N2O. The N2O separated by gas chromatography was introduced into a discharge tube and subjected to the N-15 analysis by emission spectrometry. By this system 15N atom % of 0.3 μg N2O-N/1 liter sample could be measured.