Nitrogen and Phosphorus Determinations in Estuarine Waters: A Comparison of Methods Used in Chesapeake Bay Monitoring

摘要

The study was performed to compare standard EPA techniques for determining nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in natural waters with oceanographic techniques typically employed by estuarine and marine scientists. Comparisons were made using samples collected over a four month period and a wide range of salinities from Chesapeake Bay. Technical findings and cost comparisons suggest that in estuarine waters the oceanographic procedures provide equivalent or superior results to those obtained by EPA procedures at a considerable cost savings.