Fluorescence-based measurement of water-dissolved nitrate ions

摘要

A novel method for measuring ion concentration is reported based on a photochemical reaction between reduced nitrate ions and 2-amino-1-napthalene sulphonic acid. Reduced nitrate ions, in the form of nitrite, react with phot excited 2-amino-1- naphthalene sulphonic acid in acidic media resulting in the formation of a fluorescent product. The photochemical reaction was found selective to nitrite ions, with interference only from sulphide, sulphite, thiosulphate and iron (III) among various water dissolved ionic species investigated. The reported reaction offers a method to measure both nitrate and nitrite ion concentrations. The calibration plot was linear over the investigated range of 0 1 - 12 $mu@M and a detection limit of 24 nM plus or minus 2.4 nM. The method which was used to investigate nitrite ion concentrations in North London tap water and commercially available bottled water was found to be suitable for nitrate and nitrite ion measurement in such aqueous media.