• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.91-103
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• 1995

The reaction rate, equilibrium, and flow injection analysis methods were fundamentally evaluated for the determination of aqueous ammonia. The selected indophenol blue method was based on the formation of indophenol blue in which ammonium ion reacted with hypochlorite and phenol in alkaline solution. In the optimized reaction condition, the reaction followed 1st order reaction kinetics and the final product was stable. The absorbance measurements before and after the equilibrium were utilized for the reaction rate and equilibrium methods. The reaction rate methods, based on the relative analytical signals for the possibility of eliminating interferents, were shown to have good linear calibration curves but the detection limit and the calibration sensitivity were poorer than those in the equilibrium method. The detection limits were 32-49 pub and 24 pub for the reaction rate and equilibrium methods, respectively In the flow injection analysis, the absorbance was measured before the equilibrium reached and thus resulted in 30% reduction of calibration sensitivity. However, the detection limit was 11 ppb, indicating that the peak-to-peak noise for the blank was remarkably improved. Compared to the manual methods, the optimized experimental condition in a closed reaction system reduced the blank absorbance and the inclusion of ammonia from the atmosphere was prevented. In addition, highly reproducible mixing of sample and reagents and analytical data extracted from continuous recording showed excellent reproducibility.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.100-105
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• 2017

Various methods for assessing soil total nitrogen (TN) and inorganic N content have been developed to manage nutrient and to understand N cycle in soil. This paper address the technical procedures in arable soil samples to conduct soil sampling, sample preparation, and measuring total N and inorganic N. Among various methods for measuring soil total nitrogen contents, Kjeldahl distillation and Indophenol blue method have widely used due to reliability and economic advances. Also, two methods can analyze more samples at the same time compared with other nitrogen measuring methods. For evaluating inorganic N content, mainly in forms of nitrate-N ($NO_3{^-}-N$) and ammonium-N ($NH_4{^+}-N$), extraction with a single reagent such as 2M KCl has been employed, followed by Kjeldahl distillation or indophenol blue methods.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.136-141
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• 2012

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate whether the ammonia nitrogen concentration of aqueous samples such as drinking water can be determined by measuring the saturation of the samples colored by indophenol method. Methods: A color saturation measurement system was constructed by connecting a notebook computer to an image acquisition device composed of a PC camera and a light source, and was then used to measure the saturation of samples colored by blue indophenol complex. Results: Between two available light sources, a fluorescent lamp was selected due to its demonstrating better linearity between color saturation and ammonia nitrogen concentration. Prediction by quadratic regression was more accurate than by linear regression, and prediction by quadratic regression in the concentration range of 0.1-1.0 $mg/l$ was more accurate than in the concentration range of 0.0-1.0 $mg/l$. Regression-based predictions over 0.25 $mg/l$, 0.55 $mg/l$ and 0.75 $mg/l$ concentrations were implemented both by spectrophotometric method and by measuring color saturation. In the case of 0.25 $mg/l$, the predicted concentration by spectrophotometric method was $0.256{\pm}0.0076\;mg/l$ and the predicted concentration by measuring color saturation was $0.246{\pm}0.0086\;mg/l$ (p=0.051). In the case of 0.55 $mg/l$, they were $0.561{\pm}0.0068\;mg/l$ and $0.564{\pm}0.0166\;mg/l$ (p=0.660). In the case of 0.75 $mg/l$, they were $0.755{\pm}0.0139\;mg/l$ and $0.762{\pm}0.0088\;mg/l$ (p=0.215). Conclusions: There were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) between the data from the two methods in all three of the concentrations. Therefore, the color saturation measurement method proposed in this paper may be considered applicable for determining the ammonia nitrogen concentration of aqueous samples such as drinking water.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.787-796
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• 2021

Nitrogen (N) is the most important element during the process of plant growth, and the quality of crops varies depending on the amount of nitrogen present. Most of the nitrogen is used for plant growth, but approximately 10 - 20% of Nitrogen is carried away by the wind in the form of NH₃. This volatilized NH₃ reacts with various oxides in the atmosphere to generate secondary particulate matter. To address this, the present study attempts to reduce NH₃ occurring in the soil using biochar at a specific pH. Biochar was used as a treatment with 1% (w·w^-1) of the soil, and urea was applied at different levels of 160, 320, and 640 kg·N·ha^-1. NH₃ generated in the soil was collected using a dynamic column and analyzed using the indophenol blue method. NH₃ showed the maximum emission within 4 - 7 days after the fertilizer treatment, decreasing sharply afterward. NH₃ emission levels were reduced with the biochar treatment in all cases. Among them, the best reduction efficiency was found to be approximately 25% for the 320 kg·ha^-1 + pH 6.7 biochar treatment. Consequently, in order to reduce the amount of NH₃ generated in the soil, it is most effective to use pH 6.7 biochar and a standard amount (320 kg·N·ha^-1) of urea.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.230-235
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Ammonia gas emitted from nitrogen fertilizers applied in agricultural land is an environmental pollutant that catalyzes the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). A significant portion (12-18%) of nitrogen fertilizer input for crop cultivation is emitted to the atmosphere as ammonia gas, a loss form of nitrogen fertilizer in agricultural land. The widely practiced method for fertilizer use in agricultural fields involves spraying the fertilizers on the surface of farmlands and mixing those with the soils through such means as rotary work. To test the potential reduction of ammonia emission by nitrogen fertilizers from the soil surface, we have added N, P, and K at 2 g each to the glass greenhouse soil, and the ammonia emission was analyzed. METHODS AND RESULTS: The treatment consisted of non-fertilization, surface spray (conventional fertilization), and soil depth spray at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm. Ammonia was collected using a self-manufactured vertical wind tunnel chamber, and it was quantified by the indophenol-blue method. As a result of analyzing ammonia emission after fertilizer treatments by soil depth, ammonia was emitted by the surface spray treatment immediately after spraying the fertilizer in the paddy soil, with no ammonia emission occurring at a soil depth of 10 cm to 30 cm. In the upland soil, ammonia was emitted by the surface spray treatment after 2 days of treatment, and there was no ammonia emission at a soil depth of 15 cm to 30 cm. Lettuce and Chinese cabbage treated with fertilizer at depths of 20 cm and 30 cm showed increases of fresh weight and nutrient and potassium contents. CONCLUSION(S): In conclusion, rather than the current fertilization method of spraying and mixing the fertilizers on the soil surface, deep placement of the nitrogen fertilizer in the soil at 10 cm or more in paddy fields and 15 cm or more in upland fields was considered as a better fertilization method to reduce ammonia emission.