The effect of acidification on the determination of organic carbon, total nitrogen and their stable isotopic composition in algae and marine sediment

We investigated the effects of sample acidification on the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (delta13C and delta15N), as well as the organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) composition, of an algal culture and a marine sediment. Replicate measurements of untreated and acid-treated samples were made using 1 M, 2 M and 6 M HCl, 6% H2SO3 and 1 M H3PO4. For all treatments the precision of the analysis for the acid-treated sample was equal to or less than that in the non-acidified sample. For the algae, analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant differences in the mean OC and TN concentration, or delta13C and delta15N composition, between any acid treatment and non-acidified samples. For the sediment sample a comparison could only be made between the different acid treatments because the untreated contained significant amounts ( approximately 30%) of carbonate carbon. ANOVA indicated that the mean OC determined in sediment samples after the 1 M HCl treatment and the mean delta13C values after the 6% H2SO3 and 1 M H3PO4 treatments were significantly different (p < 0.013 and < .05, respectively) from all other treatments. Mass balance calculations indicate that in some instances delta13C values were biased due to a contribution from unreacted carbonate carbon. There were no significant differences in the mean TN between any acid-treated and non-acidified samples. The mean delta15N values after 6 M HCl, 6% H2SO3 and 1 M H3PO4 treatments were significantly different from the untreated sediment sample (p < 0.044). Based on the significant bias observed for the delta15N and delta13C values, a weak (1-2 M) HCl solution is confirmed as the most appropriate acid for the removal of inorganic carbon from natural materials requiring elemental and isotopic analysis.