New Sulfuric Acid Method Enhances Accuracy for Tracking Atmospheric Ammonia Sources and Air Pollution

Scientists reveal a new sulfuric acid sampling method that improves the accuracy of nitrogen isotope tracking for better atmospheric ammonia source identification.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 20, 2026, 8:50 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Maximum Academic Press

A Breakthrough in Atmospheric Ammonia Source Attribution

A research team led by Chaopu Ti at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has established a more precise methodology for analyzing nitrogen isotopes in atmospheric ammonia. By utilizing a specific sulfuric acid absorption system, the scientists have overcome previous technical hurdles that led to inaccurate data collection during air quality monitoring. Ammonia serves as the primary alkaline gas in our atmosphere, playing a critical role in the formation of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which poses severe risks to human health and global climate stability.

The Technical Limitations of Traditional Acidic Absorbents

The reliability of isotope tracing has historically been hindered by the chemical behavior of acidic absorbents during the sampling process. Common passive collection methods often introduce isotope fractionation, a phenomenon where the ratio of nitrogen isotopes is altered, particularly when ammonia concentrations are low. According to the study published in Nitrogen Cycling, these methodological inconsistencies have made it difficult for environmental scientists to distinguish between various nitrogen sources, such as synthetic fertilizers and animal waste, with the high level of certainty required for policy making.

Comparative Performance of Sulfuric and Boric Acid Systems

To resolve these discrepancies, the researchers conducted controlled laboratory experiments comparing the recovery efficiency of sulfuric acid against boric acid solutions. The results indicated that sulfuric acid achieved ammonia recovery rates between 95.98 percent and 96.88 percent, maintaining high precision even at low concentrations. Conversely, boric acid systems produced significantly lower recovery rates, averaging approximately 83.90 percent. This disparity suggests that sulfuric acid is far more effective at capturing nitrogen without the interference of isotopic bias, providing a more stable foundation for environmental analysis.