Fred J. Genthner
US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, FL, 32561,
Tanzania
Research Article
Estimating Rates of Denitrification Enzyme Activity in Wetland Soils with
Direct Simultaneous Quantification of Nitrogen and Nitrous Oxide by
Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry
Author(s): Fred J. Genthner, Dragoslav T. Marcovich and John C. LehrterFred J. Genthner, Dragoslav T. Marcovich and John C. Lehrter
The microbial mediated process of denitrification is a major pathway for the removal of reactive nitrogen a pollutant in natural environments and waste treatment facilities. Denitrification potential, measured as denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), was quantified in novel short-term (4 h) anaerobic assays using a more sensitive and precise technique, membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) rather than the traditional headspace electron capture gas chromatography (GC-ECD) method. Using MIMS modifications made to the instrument and sample handling allowed for the simultaneous and direct measurement of reaction products nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, and the chemically unreactive dinitrogen (N2). Rate determinations were made from the slope of a linear curve generated by plotting increasing concentrations of the reaction products with time. Strong evidence for the valid.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/1948-5948.1000108