Nitrate test to 2.5 micrograms and a concentration of 1 in 25,000 parts. Devarda's alloy (Copper/Aluminium/Zinc) is a reducing agent. When reacted with nitrate in sodium hydroxide solution, ammonia is liberated. The ammonia formed may be detected by its characteristic odor, and by damp red litmus paper's turning blue, signalling that it is an alkali — very few gases other than ammonia evolved from wet chemistry are alkaline. Aluminium is the reducing agent in this reaction that will occur. Diphenylamine may be used as a wet chemical test for the presence of the nitrate ion. In this test, a solution of diphenylamine
Nitrite test or dilute urine. In addition, a nitrite test does not detect organisms unable to reduce nitrate to nitrite, such as enterococci, staphylococci ("Staphylococcus saprophyticus"), Acinetobacter, or adenovirus. Nitrite test A nitrite test is a chemical test used to determine the presence of nitrite ion in solution. A common nitrite test can be performed by adding 4 M sulfuric acid to the sample until acidic, and then adding 0.1 M iron(II) sulfate to the solution. A positive test for nitrite is indicated by a dark brown solution, arising from the iron-nitric oxide complex ion. A nitrite test is a standard component