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View Actual EPA Method 353.3 (PDF File)
EPA Method 353.3:Nitrate-Nitrite by Cadmium Reduction and Colorimetry. Official Name: Nitrogen, Nitrate-Nitrite (Spectrophotometric, Cadmium Reduction)
Summary:Nitrate and nitrite: A filtered sample is passed through a column containing granulated copper-cadmium to reduce nitrate to nitrite. The nitrite (originally in the sample and reduced nitrate) is determined by diazotizing with sulfanilamide and coupling with N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride to form a highly colored azo dye, which is measured with a spectrometer.Nitrite alone: The procedure is the same except that the cadmium column is bypassed.
Scope:This method determines nitrite singly or nitrate and nitrite combined in drinking, surface, and saline waters, domestic and industrial wastes.
Citation:Methods for the Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes (MCAWW) (EPA/600/4-79/020)
Interferences:(A) Suspended matter: Suspended materials will fowl the reduction column and restrict sample flow. Pretreat by filtering the sample through a 0.45 um filter or (for highly turbid samples) pretreating with zinc sulfate before filtration.(B) Metals: Metals like iron or copper can produce low results. Treat samples with EDTA to remove this interference.(C) Oil and grease: Oil and grease, that can coat the column and reduce efficiency should be removed by pre-extracting the sample with an organic solvent.
QC Requirements:None.
Maximum Holding Time:28 Days (nitrate+nitrite)48 hours (nitrate or nitrite, singly)(MCAWW, Table 1).
Media:WATER
Subcategory:Inorganic
Concentration:0.01 to 1.0 mg/L Nitrate-nitrite nitrogen.
Sample Prep:None.
Precision:Precision and accuracy values were calculated using interlaboratory data from EPA-managed Water Pollution (WP) performance evaluation studies.
Detection:None.
Revision Number:Issued 1974
Test Description:Nitrate-Nitrite (as
Report Number:600/4-79-020