Determination of nitrogen species (nitrate, nitrite and ammonia ions) in environmental samples by ion chromatography

The necessity of environmental protection has stimulated development of all kinds of methods allowing determination of different pollutants in different elements of the natural environment, including methods for determining inorganic nitrogen ions. Many of the methods used so far have proven insufficiently sensitive, selective or accurate and recently much attention has been paid to ion chromatography, which seems most promising. This paper reviews applications of ion chromatography for determining nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ions in environmental samples and in food products along with ISO standards and the relevant methods proposed by the US EPA and Dionex. Literature examples describe the application of ion chromatography for determining NO3-, NO2- and NH4+ ions in water, waste water, air, food products and other complex matrix samples. Critical analysis of the methods based on ion chromatography is presented.