My Opinions On The Kit From - The Nitrate Elimination Company, Inc.
 
PROS - I found the kit to be very well put together.  The instructions were written in an easy-to-read form and nothing was left out for questioning.  I liked the labeled containers with different shapes for identification.  I was able to get a pretty good standardization graph which came pretty close to the graph supplied by the kit.  I used an older means to deliver microliter amounts but my results gave me confidence in what the kit can deliver with the proper equipment.  This is a kit that I will use in my chemistry class when we study Beer's Law for absorbance and concentration.  The fact that it actually gets rid of the nitrates from the environment while the digestion occurs is a definite plus.  The ability to wash the test results down the drain with lots of water makes disposal another plus for the classroom.  The kit can be used with a colorimeter so a CBL could be used in the field to obtain data.

CONS - The use of a micropipette (as well as it's cost) could cause problems in a classroom setting.  The need for a spectrophotometer (and it's cost too) is another concern.  This kit is probably better suited for advanced chemistry classes or in smaller class size labs.  I have no worries for this kit in my classroom but teachers should be aware of the equipment needed to use the kit.  This kit is not as easy to use as the other three kits but gives much more accuracy.  The student is not forced to guess what color matches the standard or to approximate how much lighter or darker the sample is.
 

DATA -  The results obtained from the testing shows the kit gives very good (if not more accurate) results for nitrate concentrations.  Samples 19 thru 24 did not agree at all with each other so I did a test of my own for samples 19 and 27.  I feel confident that the enzyme kit is very reliable and a valuable device for testing nitrate concentrations.  I would recommend this kit for anyone who wants data that means something.
 

To get more information on this kit and the company go to:

    http://www.nitrate.com

or e-mail to:  ellenr@nitrate.com
 
 

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