Correcting for background nitrate contamination in KCl‐extracted samples during isotopic analysis of oxygen and nitrogen by the denitrifier method

There is a small amount of NO3(-) present in crystalline KCl, which can bias isotopic measurement of NO3(-) at low sample concentrations. This can be minimized by making standards and blanks in the same KCl as is used in samples, diluting all samples and standards to the appropriate NO3(-) concentration using matched KCl solutions, and adding samples and standards to the broth at a constant volume to standardize the KCl molarity in the reaction vial.