Use of disposable clean-up columns for selective removal of humic substances prior to measurements with a nitrate ion-selective electrode

Measurements of nitrate in natural waters with a nitrate ion-selective electrode are seriously affected by the presence of humic substances. These can be removed quantitatively by a clean-up procedure with cheap disposable adsorption columns packed with chemically-bonded alkylamino silica. The method is applied to natural water samples with high contents of humic substances. The nitrate concentrations found were in good agreement with determination by ion chromatography.