i want to calculate nitrate nitrogen and ammonium concentration from from leachate(extracted ground water by lysimeter) which farmula i should use to calculate above two specie? thanks
First you need to know from the analytical devices you used to determine (i) nitrate, (ii) ammonium and (iii) total nitrogen how the analytical results are expressed (in nitrogen or nitrate and ammonium). Usually this will be expressed in nitrogen. This should be explained in the lab protocols that you use. Use callibration standards or reference samples with known concentrations to validate / control. Other than that conversion from NO3-N to NO3 is quite easy : it is based on the atomic mass so 1 mg/l NO3-N is equal to [14 + (3 x 16)] / 14 mg/l of nitrate. In other words 1 mg/l NO3-N (nitrate nitrogen) is equal to 4,42 mg/l NO3 (nitrate.
The attached 49-pages pdf contains important information relevant to your research project.
If you think that there is ammonium nitrate (AN) in the sample, then pH test will indicate that it is acidic. AN is completely soluble in water with each formula unit containing 2 moles of (N); one from the ammonium & one from the nitrate. Assuming that the concentration of NH4NO3 is 0.1 molar, then there is 0.1 M NH4+ ions concentration & the same applies to NO3- . The percentage (N) in NO3- is easily calculated by dividing the mass of total (N) over the total mass of (AN) {obtained from concentration of AN in the sample & taking into account % mass of N in one formula unit of AN which is (2X14)g/mol/ 80.04336 g/mol times 100= 34.998%} then dividing the percent by (2).
http://www.nordtest.info/images/documents/nt-technical-reports/NT%20TR%20473_Use%20of%20lysimeters%20for%20characterisation%20of%20leaching%20from%20soil%20and%20mainly%20inorganic%20waste%20materials_Nordtest%20Technical%20Report.pdf
Do you have nitrate and ammonia concentration data? If so we need to know how they were acquired.
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