δ15N–NH4+ variations of rainwater: Application of the Rayleigh model

• NH3 concentration and isotopic composition was estimated by Rayleigh model.
• The estimated gaseous ammonia concentration was 25.7 ± 36.3 μg/m3.
• Ammonia absorption and isotope fractionation were controlled by two-film theory.

It is generally difficult to measure atmospheric gaseous ammonia concentration and to identify its sources by isotopic technique due to the isotopic fractionation after it enters the atmosphere. In this study, Rayleigh model was successfully used to quantify atmospheric concentration and isotopic composition of gaseous ammonia based on sampling of 20 rain events from October 1st, 2008 to September 30, 2009 in Guiyang, southwest China. The estimated gaseous ammonia concentration was 25.7 ± 36.3 μg/m3 and estimated isotopic composition was − 16.8 ± 4.9‰ in Guiyang. The study also showed that estimated enrichment factor was + 10.4 ± 4.3‰, inferring that large nitrogen isotopic fractionation occurred during exchange reactions in most of the rain events. The atmospheric ammonium deposition was further estimated to be 38.1 kg/ha/year. However, there is no validation for the approach from an actual gas phase NH3 measurement to examine the model in this study.