Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ
15N) in gaseous ammonia (NH
3) and ammonium ion (NH
4+) in aerosols as well as atmospheric concentrations of these species were measured. Samples were collected at Maki National Acid Deposition Monitoring Station that locates west of the Niigata Plane and near the shoreline of the Sea of Japan in Niigata Prefecture. The atmospheric concentrations of NH
3 and NH
4+ ranged, from 47.4 to 164 with a mean of 96.9 nmol m
-3 and from 4.6 to 61.6 with a mean of 21.3 nmol m
-3, respectively. The atmospheric concentration of NH
3 at Maki Station is almost average value in Japan, while NH
4+ concentration is lower than NH
3. The δ
15N in NH
3 and in NH
4+ ranged, from-14.5 to -1.0 with a mean-/8.3% and from 12.2 to 39.6 with a mean 22.1%, respectively. Thus, there was a large difference in δ
15N in NH
3 and in NH
4+. Considering the changes of δ
15N in NH
4+ in the experiment on dry deposition of NH
3 to a H
2SO4-impregnated filter by Heaton (1997), there may be sufficient equilibrium reactions between NH
3 and NH
4+ aerosol in the atmosphere when atmospheric concentration of NH
3 exceeds that of NH
4+, and the isotopic composition of NH
4+ became enriched in
15N, giving rise to the value of δ
15N by the equilibrium isotopic fractionation effect between gas and aerosol.
View full abstract