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In the past, δ26/24Mg measurements were referenced to NIST SRM 980, the initial zero of the δ26/24Mg scale. With the development of MC-ICPMS, the detection of small but measurable isotopic differences in different chips of SRM 980 became apparent. To solve this problem a suite of magnesium isotope reference materials, ERM-AE143, -AE144 and -AE145, has been certified in a first study by applying an ab initio calibration for absolute Mg isotope ratios without any a priori assumptions, a procedure which fulfils all requirements of a primary method of measurement. We could achieve for the first time measurement uncertainties for isotope amount ratios close to the typical precision of magnesium delta values, δ26/24Mg, which are at the 0.1 ‰ level (2SD). In addition, it was demonstrated that commonly used fractionation laws are invalid for correcting Mg isotope ratios in multi-collector ICPMS as they result in a bias which is not covered by its associated uncertainty. Depending on their type, fractionation laws create a bias up to several per mil, with the exponential law showing the smallest bias between 0.1 ‰ to 0.7 ‰.
With these isotope reference materials, it is possible to establish SI-traceability for magnesium delta measurements. To realize this, we organized a second study within which five expert laboratories participated to cross-calibrate all available magnesium isotope standards, which are NIST SRM 980, IRMM-009, ERM-AE143, ERM-AE144, ERM-AE145 and the standards DSM3 and Cambridge-1. The mean δ26/24Mg values for the individual iRMs, calculated from the laboratory means show 2 SD reproducibilities varying between 0.025 and 0.093 ‰. Propagated measurement uncertainties suggest a standard uncertainty of about 0.1‰ for δ26/24Mg determinations (2SD). Thus, SI traceability for magnesium isotope amount ratios and delta values is demonstrated to be established.
Multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) has evolved significantly since its introduction in 1992. The second and third generation instruments now allow isotope ratio measurements at unprecedented precisions, 0.001 % or better. However, precision alone is not enough for producing accurate and reliable isotope ratio measurements. Metrological considerations such as the selection of suitable calibration strategies, proper assessment of instrumental biases, and the estimation of overall measurement uncertainty remain critical to the measurement process. Properly assessed, measurement uncertainty then provides the interval within which a result can be considered both accurate and precise.
All mass spectrometric measurements are affected by instrumental mass discrimination and produce isotope ratios that are biased relative to their “true” ratio. To produce accurate and traceable isotope ratio measurements, it is imperative that certified isotope reference materials (iCRMs) be used for calibration and validation purposes. iCRMs reporting absolute isotope ratios are an analyst’s first choice, particularly when its uncertainty is sufficient for the intended use. However, when smaller uncertainties are required to resolve subtle differences between samples, delta-scale measurements become important. Here, the difference between an isotope ratio measured in a sample and in an internationally accepted isotope reference material (iRM) is determined. This deviation can be positive or negative relative to the iRM, is called a delta value, and is often expressed in per mil units.
This presentation will highlight the potential for MC-ICP-MS to produce isotope ratio measurements with minimal uncertainties by examining three applications involving Mg isotopes: 1) the certification of a set of iCRMs for their absolute isotope ratio using a gravimetric isotope mixture approach; 2) the comparison of these iCRMs with currently accepted Mg delta-scale reference materials through intercalibration, and 3) the determination of isotope fractionation exponents for geochemical applications.
In most chemical reactions, stable isotopes are fractionated in a mass-dependent manner, yielding correlated isotope ratios in elements with three or more stable isotopes. The proportionality between isotope ratios is set by the triple isotope fractionation exponent θ that can be determined precisely for, e.g., sulfur and oxygen by IRMS, but not for metal(loid) elements due to the lower precision of MC-ICP-MS analysis and smaller isotopic variations. Here, using Mg as a test case, we compute a complete metrologically robust uncertainty budget for apparent θ values and, with reference to this, present a new measurement Approach that reduces uncertainty on θ values by 30%. This approach, namely, direct educt-product bracketing (sample−sample bracketing), allows apparent θ values of metal(loid) isotopes to be determined precisely enough to distinguish slopes in three-isotope space. For the example of Mg, we assess appropriate quality Control standards for interference-to-signal ratios and Report apparent θ values of carbonate−seawater pairs. We determined apparent θ values for marine biogenic carbonates, where the foraminifera Globorotalia menardii yields 0.514 ± 0.005 (2 SD), the coral Porites, 0.515 ± 0.006 (2 SD), and two specimens of the giant clam Tridacna gigas, 0.508 ± 0.007 (2 SD) and 0.509 ± 0.006 (2 SD), documenting differences in the uptake pathway of Mg among marine calcifiers. The capability to measure apparent θ values more precisely adds a new dimension to metal(loid) δ values, with the potential to allow us to resolve different modes of fractionation in industrial and natural processes.
This presentation gives a short overview of isotope ratio measurements being carried out in the past few years at BAM in different fields such as plant metabolism, food web structures and archaeology. The corresponding isotope reference materials which have been certified at BAM in parallel are presented as well. Additionally an outlook is being provided on future iRM projects.
During R/V Meteor cruise 141/1, pore fluids of near surface sediments were investigated to find indications for hydrothermal activity in the Terceira Rift (TR), a hyperslow spreading center in the Central North Atlantic Ocean. To date, submarine hydrothermal fluid venting in the TR has only been reported for the D. João de Castro seamount, which presently seems to be inactive. Pore fluids sampled close to a volcanic cone at 2,800‐m water depth show an anomalous composition with Mg, SO4, and total alkalinity concentrations significantly higher than seawater and a nearby reference core. The most straightforward way of interpreting these deviations is the dissolution of the hydrothermally formed mineral caminite (MgSO4 0.25 Mg (OH)2 0.2H2O). This interpretation is corroborated by a thorough investigation of fluid isotope systems (δ26Mg, δ30Si, δ34S, δ44/42Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr). Caminite is known from mineral assemblages with anhydrite and forms in hydrothermal recharge zones only under specific conditions such as high fluid temperatures and in altered oceanic crust, which are conditions generally met at the TR. We hypothesize that caminite was formed during hydrothermal activity and is now dissolving during the waning state of the hydrothermal system, so that caminite mineralization is shifted out of its stability zone. Ongoing fluid circulation through the basement is transporting the geochemical signal via slow advection toward the seafloor.
In the past, δ26/24Mg measurements were referenced to NIST SRM 980, the initial zero of the δ26/24Mg scale. With the development of MC-ICPMS, the detection of small but measurable isotopic differences in different chips of SRM 980 became apparent. To solve this problem a suite of magnesium isotope reference materials, ERM-AE143, -AE144 and -AE145, has been certified in a first study by applying an ab initio calibration for absolute Mg isotope ratios without any a priori assumptions, a procedure which fulfils all requirements of a primary method of measurement. We could achieve for the first time measurement uncertainties for isotope amount ratios close to the typical precision of magnesium delta values, δ26/24Mg, which are at the 0.1 ‰ level (2SD). In addition, it was demonstrated that commonly used fractionation laws are invalid for correcting Mg isotope ratios in multi-collector ICPMS as they result in a bias which is not covered by its associated uncertainty. Depending on their type, fractionation laws create a bias up to several per mil, with the exponential law showing the smallest bias between 0.1 ‰ to 0.7 ‰.
With these isotope reference materials, it is possible to establish SI-traceability for magnesium delta measurements. To realize this, we organized a second study within which five expert laboratories participated to cross-calibrate all available magnesium isotope standards, which are NIST SRM 980, IRMM-009, ERM-AE143, ERM-AE144, ERM-AE145 and the standards DSM3 and Cambridge-1. The mean δ26/24Mg values for the individual iRMs, calculated from the laboratory means show 2 SD reproducibilities varying between 0.025 and 0.093 ‰. Propagated measurement uncertainties suggest a standard uncertainty of about 0.1‰ for δ26/24Mg determinations (2SD). Thus, SI traceability for magnesium isotope amount ratios and delta values is demonstrated to be established.