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In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of nitrogen microwave inductively coupled atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry (MICAP-MS) for Ca, Fe, and Se quantification in human serum using isotope dilution (ID) analysis. The matrix tolerance of MICAP-MS in Na matrix was investigated, uncovering that high Na levels can suppress the signal intensity. This suppression is likely due to the plasma loading and the space charge effect. Moreover, 40Ca and 44Ca isotopic fractionation was noted at elevated Na concentration. Nine certified serum samples were analyzed using both external calibration and ID analysis. Overestimation of Cr, Zn, As, and Se was found in the results of external calibration, which might be resulted from C-induced polyatomic interference and signal enhancement, respectively. Further investigations performed with methanol showed a similar enhancement effect for Zn, As, and Se, potentially supporting this assumption. The mass concentrations determined with ID analysis show metrological compatibility with the reference values, indicating that MICAP-MS combined with ID analysis can be a promising method for precise Ca, Fe, and Se determination. Moreover, this combination reduces the influences of matrix effects, broadening the applicability of MICAP-MS for samples with complex matrix.
Accurate and precise isotope ratio measurements of heavy elements are playing an increasinglyimportant role in modern analytical sciences and have numerous applications. Today, isotope ratio measurements are typically performed with two principal techniques: thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and multiple collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). To obtain accurate results by mass spectrometry, isotopic certified reference materials (iCRMs) are needed for mass bias correction and for the validation of the method used for analysis.Thus, it is of paramount importance to achieve measurement comparability of all data reported, and to assess measurement capability of each CRM producer/National Metrology Institute (NMI). Therefore, the international comparison (CCQM-P213) was performed to assess the analytical capabilities of NMIs for the accurate determination of copper isotope ratio delta values in high purity materials. The study was proposed by the coordinating laboratories, National Research Council Canada (NRC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), as an activity of the Isotope Ratio Working Group (IRWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance - Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM). Participants included six NMIs and one designated institute (DI) from the six countries. Although no measurement method was prescribed by the coordinating laboratories, MC-ICP-MS with either standard-sample bracketing (SSB) or combined SSB with internal normalization (C-SSBIN) models for mass bias correction were recommended. Results obtained from the six NMIs and one DI were in good agreement.
Boron isotope fractionation in soil-plant systems and its influence on biogeochemical cycling
(2022)
Boron (B) is an essential mineral nutrient for higher plants. Although B plant nutrition is well studied, the B isotope fractionation at the soil-plant interface, within plant metabolism, and its influence on biogeochemical cycling is not fully understood. Boron concentrations and isotope variations (δ11B) of the dicotyledonous plants of Chenopodium album and Brassica napus and their growing soils along a climatic gradient were analyzed to decipher these unresolved issues of the B behavior. The boron concentrations and δ11B values show an increasing trend from roots to leaves for both plants, while a decreasing trend from flower to shell and to seed for Brassica napus. A large boron isotope fractionation occurs within the plants with median Δ11Bleaf-root ≈ +20‰, which is related to different boron transporters and transportation ways. Formation of borate dimerized rhamnogalacturonan II in cell and B(OH)3 transportation in xylem lead to heavier δ11B values from root to stem and leaf while B(OH)4 transportation in phloem lead to lighter δ11B values from flower to shell and seed. Although samples cover a distinct transect with systematically different climatic conditions, Δδ11B within the individual plant compartments and between the bulk plants and the soil available B do not show any systematic variation.
This suggests that B uptake from the soil into Chenopodium album and Brassica napus occurs without a distinct isotope fractionation at the soil-plant interface (median Δ11Bbulkplant-soil = 0.2‰) and plants are able to regulate boron uptake. Both the observed large B fractionation within plant and low or absent B isotope fractionation at the soil-plant interface may have profound implications for the biological and geological B cycle. If this observed boron behavior also exists in other plants, their litters would be an important source for exporting 11B-rich biological material from continental ecosystems via rivers to the global oceans. This may be helpful for the explanation of ocean B cycle and the increasing δ11B values over the Cenozoic.
Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth. Lack of valid methods for pretreatment and measurement of δ11B in plant restrict applications of it in the biosphere. Dry ashing, one step cation exchange and micro-sublimation were combined to separate and purify boron (B) in plant tissues. The low procedure blank, high B recovery and the accurate δ11B values of the plant reference materials demonstrate that this method is suitable and valid for B pretreatment and δ11B measurement in plant samples by MC-ICP-MS. Based on this method, the δ11B in different plants (Brassica napus, Chenopodium album L, moss, lichen, and Nostoc commune) was analyzed. For Brassica napus, δ11B increased gradually from root to leaf, and then decreased to rapeseed. For the same parts, the δ11B increased from the lower parts to the higher parts. This variation may be due to the B(OH)3 transporter of NIP6;1 and the incorporation of B into the cell. The reason for lower δ11B values in shell and rapeseed compared to those in leaves presumably is to the preferred Transport of borate in the phloem. The largest δ11B fractionation between leaf and root in Brassica napus and Chenopodium album L was +24.2‰ and +26.6‰, respectively. The large variation and fractionation of δ11B within plants indicates that δ11B is a good tracer to study the B translocation mechanisms and metabolism within plants. The δ11B in Nostoc commune, lichen, and moss showed variations of -4.1‰ to +21.5‰, −9.4‰ to +7.3‰, and −18.3‰ to +11. 9‰, respectively. In the same site, δ11B in different plants ranked Nostoc commune>moss>lichen and δ11B in mosses growing in different environment ranked soil>tree>rock. Rain and soil available B are the main B sources for these plants. The δ11B in Nostoc commune, lichen, and moss may be a useful tracer to study the atmospheric B input. In the future, plants culture experiments under certain environments and studies from molecular level are necessary to decipher the variation of δ11B and fractionation mechanisms within plants.
An alternative method for lithium isotope amount ratio analysis based on a combination of high-resolution atomic absorption spectrometry and spectral data analysis by machine learning (ML) is proposed herein. It is based on the well-known isotope shift of approximately 15 pm for the electronic transition 22P←22S at around the wavelength of 670.8 nm, which can be measured by the state-of-the-art high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. For isotope amount ratio analysis, a scalable tree boosting ML algorithm (XGBoost) was employed and calibrated using a set of samples with 6Li isotope amount fractions, ranging from 0.06 to 0.99 mol mol–1, previously determined by a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). The calibration ML model was validated with two certified reference materials (LSVEC and IRMM-016). The procedure was applied toward the isotope amount ratio determination of a set of stock chemicals (Li2CO3, LiNO3, LiCl, and LiOH) and a BAM candidate reference material NMC111 (LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2), a Li-battery cathode material. The results of these determinations were compared with those obtained by MC-ICP-MS and found to be metrologically comparable and compatible. The residual bias was −1.8‰, and the precision obtained ranged from 1.9 to 6.2‰. This precision was sufficient to resolve naturally occurring variations, as demonstrated for samples ranging from approximately −3 to +15‰. To assess its suitability to technical applications, the NMC111 cathode candidate reference material was analyzed using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry with and without matrix purification. The results obtained were metrologically compatible with each other.
The therapeutic dose of lithium (Li) compounds, which are widely used for the treatment of psychiatric and hematologic disorders, is close to its toxic level; therefore, drug monitoring protocols are mandatory. Herein, we propose a fast, simple, and low-cost analytical procedure for the traceable determination of Li concentration in human serum, based on the monitoring of the Li isotope dilution through the partially resolved isotope shift in its electronic transition around 670.80 nm using a commercially available high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. With this technique, serum samples only require acidic digestion before analysis. The procedure requires three measurements—an enriched 6Li spike, a mixture of a certified standard solution and spike, and a mixture of the sample and spike with a nominal 7Li/6Li ratio of 0.82. Lanthanum has been used as an internal spectral standard for wavelength correction. The spectra are described as the linear superposition of the contributions of the respective isotopes, each consisting of a spin-orbit doublet, which can be expressed as Gaussian components with constant spectral position and width and different relative intensity, reflecting the isotope ratio in the sample. Both the spectral constants and the correlation between isotope ratio and relative band intensity have been experimentally obtained using commercially available materials enriched with Li isotopes. The Li characteristic mass (mc) obtained corresponds to 0.6 pg. The procedure has been validated using five human serum certified reference materials. The results are metrologically comparable and compatible to the certified values. The measurement uncertainties are comparable to those obtained by the more complex and expensive technique, isotope dilution mass spectrometry.
Stable isotope ratios and trace element concentrations of fossil bones and teeth are important geochemical proxies for the reconstruction of diet and past environment in archaeology and palaeontology. However, since diagenesis can significantly alter primary diet-related isotope signatures and elemental compositions, it is important to understand and quantify alteration processes. Here, we present the results of in-vitro Alteration experiments of dental tissues from a modern African elephant molar reacted in aqueous solutions at 30 °C and 90 °C for 4 to 63 days. Dental cubes with ≈ 3 mm edge length, comprising both enamel and dentin, were placed into 2 mL of acidic aqueous solution enriched in different isotopes (25Mg, 44Ca, 67Zn, 86Sr, initial pH 1). Element and isotope distribution profiles across the reacted cubes were measured with LA-(MC-)ICP-MS and EMPA, while potential effects on the bioapatite crystal structure were characterised by Raman spectroscopy. In all experiments isotope ratios measured by LA-(MC-)ICP-MS revealed an alteration of the enamel in the outer ≈ 200–300 μm. In contrast, dentin was fully altered (≈ 1.4 mm) after one week at 90 °C while the alteration did not exceed a depth of 150–200 μm during the 30 °C experiments. Then, the tracer solution started also to penetrate through the enamel-dentin junction into the innermost enamel, however, leaving the central part of the enamel unaltered, even after three months. The Raman spectra suggest an initial demineralisation in the acidic environment while organic matter (i.e. collagen) is still preserved. In the 90 °C experiment, Raman spectra of the v1 PO4) band of the dentin shift over time towards synthetic hydroxylapatite patterns and the Ca (and Sr) concentrations in the respective solutions decrease. This indicates precipitation of newly formed apatite. Isotope and element concentration profiles across the dental tissues reveal different exchange mechanisms for different isotope systems. Magnesium is leached from enamel and dentin, while Zn is incorporated into the apatite crystal structure. However, the distribution of both elements is not affected in the innermost enamel where their concentrations do not change over the whole duration of the experiments. We found no correlation of reaction depth in the cubes and experimental duration, which might be caused by natural variability of the dental material already at the beginning of the experiment. Our alteration experiments in a closed system at high temperatures ≤90 °C and low initial pH demonstrate that at least the central part of mm-thick mammalian enamel apatite seems to be resistant against alteration preserving its pristine bioapatite mineral structure as well as its in-vivo elemental and isotopic composition. The experiments assess diagenetic alteration in a novel multi-proxy approach using in-situ analyses in high spatial resolution. It is demonstrated that the isotopes of Ca, Sr, Zn and
Mg in the dentin are prone for diagenetic alteration, while enamel is more resistant against alteration and could be used for dietary and physiological reconstructions in fossil teeth.
Within this work, the combination of a microdroplet generator and an ICP-ToF-MS for nanoparticle analysis is presented. For the size determination of platinum nanoparticles an on-line isotope dilution analysis approach was developed. The 194Pt/195Pt isotopic ratio was used for the characterization of the particles, while the 182W/183W isotopic ratio was monitored simultaneously for mass bias correction. The on-line ID-MDG-sp-ICP-ToF-MS approach was deployed for the size determination of three platinum nanoparticle samples (50 nm, 63 nm, 70 nm); for validation, complementary size characterization techniques (sp-ICP-ToF-MS and TEM) were used. The robustness of this technique was evidenced, by using sodium chloride concentrations up to 100 mg L−1 as a matrix component. Our new on-line ID MDG-sp-ICP-ToF-MS approach is a promising tool for the fast and reliable determination of nanoparticles' size in severe matrix concentrations, e.g., environmental samples.
Lead isotope amount ratios are commonly used in diverse fields such as archaeometry, geochemistry and forensic science. Currently, five reference materials with certified lead isotope amount ratios are available, namely NIST SRM 981, 982 and 983, GBW-04442 and NMIJ 3681-a. Only NIST SRM 981 and NMIJ 3681-a have approximately natural isotopic compositions, and NIST SRM 981 is predominantly used for correcting mass discrimination/mass fractionation in the applied mass spectrometric procedures. Consequently, there is no other certified reference material available to be used for validation and/or quality control of the analytical procedures applied to lead isotope amount ratio measurements. To fill this gap, two new reference materials have been produced and certified for their lead isotope amount ratios. For both certified reference materials, complete uncertainty budgets have been calculated and SI traceability has been established. This provides the users with independent means for validating and verifying their analytical procedures and for conducting quality control measures. ERM-EB400 is a bronze material with a nominal lead mass fraction of 45 mg kg-1 and certified lead isotope amount ratios of n(206Pb)/n(204Pb) = 18.072(17) mol mol-1, n(207Pb)/n(204Pb) = 15.578(18) mol mol-1 and n(208Pb)/n(204Pb) = 38.075(46) mol mol-1 with the associated expanded uncertainties (k = 2) given in brackets. ERM-AE142 is a high-purity solution of lead in 2% nitric acid with a nominal mass fraction of 100 mg kg-1 and certified Pb isotope amount ratios of n(206Pb)/n(204Pb) = 21.114(17) mol mol-1, n(207Pb)/n(204Pb) = 15.944(17) mol mol-1 and n(208Pb)/n(204Pb) = 39.850(44) mol mol-1 with the associated expanded uncertainties (k = 2) given in brackets. Both materials are specifically designed to fall within the natural lead isotopic variation and to assist users with the validation and verification of their analytical procedures. Note that while one of these reference materials requires the chemical separation of Pb from its matrix (ERM-EB400), the other does not (ERM-AE142). As additional information, δ208/206PbNIST SRM981 values are provided for both materials. For ERM-AE142, a delta value of δ208/206PbNIST SRM981 = -28.21(30) ‰ was obtained, and for ERM-EB400, a delta value of δ208/206PbNIST SRM981 = -129.47(38) ‰ was obtained, with the associated expanded uncertainties (k = 2) given in brackets.
The continuous improvement of analytical procedures using multi-collector technologies in ICP-mass spectrometry has led to an increased demand for isotope standards with improved homogeneity and reduced measurement uncertainty. For magnesium, this has led to a variety of available standards with different quality levels ranging from artefact standards to isotope reference materials certified for absolute isotope ratios. This required an intercalibration of all standards and reference materials, which we present in this interlaboratory comparison study. The materials Cambridge1, DSM3, ERMAE143, ERM-AE144, ERM-AE145, IRMM-009 and NIST SRM 980 were cross-calibrated with expanded measurement uncertainties (95% confidence level) of less than 0.030‰ for the δ25/24Mg values and less than 0.037‰ for the δ26/24Mg values. Thus, comparability of all magnesium isotope delta (δ) measurements based on these standards and reference materials is established. Further, ERM-AE143 anchors all magnesium δ-scales to absolute isotope ratios and therefore establishes SI traceability, here traceability to the SI base unit mole. This applies especially to the DSM3 scale, which is proposed to be maintained. With ERM-AE144 and ERM-AE145, which are product and educt of a sublimation-condensation process, for the first time a set of isotope reference materials is available with a published value for the apparent triple isotope fractionation exponent θapp, the fractionation relationship ln α(25/24Mg)/ln α(26/24Mg).