Material for publication as a Communication must be on a n urgent matter and be of obvious scientific importance. Rapidity of Publication precludes the use of diagrams, but tables and formulae can be included. Communications should not be simple claims for priority : this facility for rapid Publication i s intended foy brief descriptions of work that has progressed to a stage at which it i s likely to be valuable to workers faced with similar Problems. A fuller paper m a y be offered subsequently, if justified by later work.Manuscripts are not subjected to the usual examination by referees and inclusion of a Communication i s at the Editor's discretion.
Ammonium nitrogen is determined a t parts per million to percentage levels by injecting the sample solution on to solid sodium hydroxide in a small vial. The ammonia generated is swept by nitrogen into a molecular emission cavity analysis (MECA) oxy-cavity and the intensity of the NO-0 continuum is measured a t 500 nm. The method is rapid, precise and free from interferences and has b z n applied successfully to the determination of ammonium ions in fertilisers, river waters and sEwage samples. Nitrate ions can also be determined after reduction to ammonia by Devarda's alloy.
Molecular emission cavity analysis (MECA)l has been used to determine many non-metals and metalloids.2 This communication reports for the first time the direct determination of some nitrogen compounds by MECA. This determination is achieved by conversion of the compounds into ammonia, which is volatilised and transported to the MECA cavity by a stream of oxygen, wherein a white band emission (Amax. = 500 nm) is produced. The spectrum is shown in Fig. 1. Similar MECA volatilisation systems have previously been designed for boron3 (as methyl borate) and arsenic and antimony4 (as their hydrides) .
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