Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen Isotope Dynamics
Our research leverages advanced stable isotope techniques to uncover the dynamics of nitrogen emissions and deposition, offering unprecedented precision in fingerprinting nitrogen sources such as fossil fuel combustion, agricultural activity, and soil microbial processes. Pioneering work by Felix and Elliott (2012) refined isotopic analysis of NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants, revealing systematic shifts in δ15N-NOx values under emission control technologies. This approach expanded to ammonia (NH3) isotopic studies, providing the first comprehensive NH3 isotope inventory and highlighting key distinctions between agricultural, fossil fuel, and urban contributions (Felix et al., 2013, 2014a). Further innovations, such as passive NO2 collection techniques (Felix and Elliott, 2014b) and high-precision NO2 isotope sampling (Coughlin et al., 2017), have enabled detailed seasonal and spatial monitoring of nitrogen fluxes under diverse environmental conditions.
These transformative insights have redefined nitrogen source attribution, revealing overlooked contributions like vehicle NH3 emissions and elevated NOx deposition from CAFOs, and have improved nitrogen emission inventories and regulatory strategies. By equipping scientists and policymakers with critical tools, this research advances solutions for mitigating nitrogen pollution, optimizing air quality management, and addressing global nitrogen challenges—offering compelling opportunities for students and funders to shape impactful environmental solutions.
Representative Publications
Felix, J.D., Elliott, E.M. (2012). Nitrogen isotopic composition of coal-fired power plant NOx: Influence of emission controls and implications for global emission inventories. Environmental Science & Technology, 46(6), 3528-3535. https://doi.org/10.1021/es3007937
Felix, J.D., Elliott, E.M., Gish, T., McConnell, L., Shaw, S. (2013). Characterizing the isotopic composition of atmospheric ammonia emission sources using passive samplers and a combined oxidation-bacterial denitrifier isotope ratio mass spectrometry method. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 27(20), 2239-2246. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.6697
Felix, J.D., Elliott, E.M., Gish, T., Magrihang, R., Clougherty, J., Cambal, L. (2014a). Examining the transport of ammonia emissions across landscapes using nitrogen isotope ratios. Atmospheric Environment, 95, 563-570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.06.056
Felix, J.D., Elliott, E.M. (2014b). The isotopic composition of passively collected nitrogen dioxide emissions: Vehicle, soil and livestock source signatures. Atmospheric Environment, 92, 359-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.04.007
Coughlin, J.G., Yu, Z., Elliott, E.M. (2017). Efficacy for passive NO2 sampler collection of δ15N-NO2 under varying simulated environmental conditions. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 31, 1211-1220. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.7885
Felix, J.D., Elliott, E.M., Gay, D.A. (2017). Spatial and temporal patterns of nitrogen isotopic composition of ammonia at U.S. ammonia monitoring network sites. Atmospheric Environment, 150, 434-442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.11.039