A small study from me how zinc dose may affect nitrate measurement

[JonasRoman]

Hi. @Randy Holmes-Farley and I had a discussion few weeks ago, and I promised investigate in which way zinc dose is crucial or not for nitrate tests. Here is my test, summarized in a small article.

Randy or someone responsible for the forum , feel free to relocate this to the article threads, or if you find it more appropriate somewhere else:-)

Its a very easy study, and a follow up would be interesting to do with higher nitrate concentrations , as I think the "break point" where zinc dose is crucial depends also on nitrate conc. A nitrate test is probably designed to have an excess amount of zinc for all nitrate values up to the tests "roof". Up to that value an overdose of zinc will have no negative effect on accuracy, but a too low dose will have when the "new" zinc dose is that low so its lower the "roof" below your true nitrate value. Where that limit is hard to know, so its always most safe to be careful when dosing the zinc powder.



Jonas

 

[Subsea]

Jonas,
I am more interested in what does inorganic zinc accomplish in the organic world. While inorganic zinc & copper are both below the lower detection limit of my ground water at 900’ in Middle Trinity Aquifier; Ward Lab showed 2ppm of copper & 5ppm of zinc in the biomass of Gracilaria Parvispora grown in my 10KG mariculture system in greenhouse.

Because I don’t test my reef systems, it’s more academic and not pragmatic to me. However, good fortune on your quest.

Hi. @Randy Holmes-Farley and I had a discussion few weeks ago, and I promised investigate in which way zinc dose is crucial or not for nitrate tests. Here is my test, summarized in a small article.

Randy or someone responsible for the forum , feel free to relocate this to the article threads, or if you find it more appropriate somewhere else:-)

Its a very easy study, and a follow up would be interesting to do with higher nitrate concentrations , as I think the "break point" where zinc dose is crucial depends also on nitrate conc. A nitrate test is probably designed to have an excess amount of zinc for all nitrate values up to the tests "roof". Up to that value an overdose of zinc will have no negative effect on accuracy, but a too low dose will have when the "new" zinc dose is that low so its lower the "roof" below your true nitrate value. Where that limit is hard to know, so its always most safe to be careful when dosing the zinc powder.



Jonas

 

[JonasRoman]

Jonas,
I am more interested in what does inorganic zinc accomplish in the organic world. While inorganic zinc & copper are both below the lower detection limit of my ground water at 900’ in Middle Trinity Aquifier; Ward Lab showed 2ppm of copper & 5ppm of zinc in the biomass of Gracilaria Parvispora grown in my 10KG mariculture system in greenhouse.

Because I don’t test my reef systems, it’s more academic and not pragmatic to me. However, good fortune on your quest.

@Subsea , another subject for another thread maybe, zink as trace in corals. important for the enzyme carbanhydras that convert co2 to hco3 for calcification in coral, but alo opposite, convert hco3 to c02 for the algue.

This article is about nitrate tests which use zink as reagent you know