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High productivity analysis of15N and13C in soil/plant research

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Abstract

On-line sample preparation and analysis enables faster testing of hypotheses in biological research, particularly in field experiments where many samples must be processed to integrate spatial variability. Soil scientists were first to recognise the need for a fast, easy-to-use15N analyser to replace the isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) and Kjeldahl-Rittenberg sample preparation. Development has since led to a variety of ‘continuous-flow’ methods. Today's instruments accept solid, liquid or gaseous samples in their naturally occurring form (leaves, soil, algae, soil gas) and process 100–125 samples per day. Automated sample preparation and analysis takes 3–10 minutes per sample.

By 1984, three groups had interfaced an automated nitrogen analyser to an IRMS. Continuous-flow combustion converted N in plant tissue or soil to a pulse of N2 gas, which was taken to the mass spectrometer by a helium carrier. Throughput increased from 20 to 100 analyses per day and only 5µg N was required compared with 50µg N for Kjeldahl-Rittenberg preparation and IRMS analysis. 1984 was also the year in which a gas chromatograph (GC) was first used on-line with an IRMS for isotopic analysis of individual compounds separated from a mixture (GC-IRMS).

In 1987, a software-controlled Automated Nitrogen Carbon Analyser-Mass Spectrometer (ANCA-MS) was developed for solid and liquid samples. Both15N and13C were measured to (SD, n = 5) 0.0002 atom%, enough for tracer studies. Less hardware made it portable, enabling use at remote sites. Software control enabled submicrogram quantities of N to be measured by moving the O2 pulse, with its N2 blank, out of phase with the sample. Software also allows an ‘accelerated mode’ for15N, doubling throughput for a small loss in precision.

Several workers have developed micro-diffusion methods for ANCA-MS determination of NH +4 and NO -3 in KCl extracts. In 1990, a ‘dual isotope’ mode was added for sequential analysis of13C and15N from the same sample. In 1992 a new, 120° deflection, mass analyzer was designed to improve accuracy and precision at the high pressures used in CF-IRMS. Its precision of < 0.1‰13C for > 100µg C and < 0.3‰15N for > 50µg N extends ANCA-MS to ‘natural abundance’ applications.

Gaseous samples were first analyzed by CF-IRMS by manually injecting into the carrier flow of an ANCA-MS instrument. The initial interest was for13C breath tests - radiation-free non-invasive tests of metabolic function. Demand for these led to the development in 1989 of an automated GC-IRMS method to separate and measure13C in CO2 from human breath. The instrument was further developed for isotopes in other gases:13CO2,15N2,15N2O, and13CH4 above soil;18O from water equilibrated with CO2 and15NO from NO -3 in KCl plant extracts. The ‘dual isotope’ mode allows15N to be measured in both N2 (mass 28) and N2O (mass 44) separated from the same sample. Recently GC-IRMS has been used to determine15N in N2O produced from NO -2 or NO -3 in KCl soil extracts.

We predict that these simpler, automated instruments and the growth of analytical services will encourage more widespread use of stable isotope techniques by agricultural researchers.

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  1. Europa Scientific Ltd., Electra Way, CW1 1ZA, Crewe, UK

    A. Barrie, S. T. Brookes, S. J. Prosser & S. Debney

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  1. A. Barrie
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  2. S. T. Brookes
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  3. S. J. Prosser
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  4. S. Debney
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Barrie, A., Brookes, S.T., Prosser, S.J. et al. High productivity analysis of15N and13C in soil/plant research. Fertilizer Research 42, 43–59 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00750499

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