Welcome to the
Central Analytical Laboratory!

Thousands of precipitation samples are collected each year by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) and the NADP/Atmospheric Integrated Research Monitoring Network (AIRMoN), the nation's acid rain monitoring networks.  Long-term monitoring networks of this size and importance require careful, accurate laboratory analyses. The NADP/NTN has relied on the Central Analytical Laboratory (CAL) to fulfill its need for site support, high-quality trace analyses, quality assurance, and data management since the program began in 1978.

"New Analyte--Total Nitrogen available"

The CAL has been measuring inorganic nitrogen in precipitation as nitrate and ammonium. There is increasing interest in determining the amount of total & organic nitrogen in precipitation. To address this interest, the CAL now offers Total Nitrogen measurements in precipitation samples. There is an additional cost and the data will be reported directly to the researcher and will not be on the NADP website. The method involves in-line acid and UV digestion. All inorganic and organic nitrogen is converted to nitrate which is then reduced to nitrite and measured colorimetrically. The MDL = 0.008 mg/L as Total Nitrogen. Contact the CAL Laboratory Supervisor, Tracy Dombek for details at tdombek@sws.uiuc.edu or 217-265-6812.

 

Information & Overview

Web page was updated 01/29/2008