Sunday, 02 March 2025

Time:
9:00 - 11:30 AM
Place:
t.b.a.
Presenter:
Anika Retzmann, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary (Canada)

Book your participation

In this course, we will discuss the theoretical background and basic principles of the application of isotope abundance ratios. The possibilities and limitations of this method will be illustrated using real-life examples. We will begin with an overview of the natural variations in the isotopic composition of elements resulting from (i) the presence of radiogenic isotopes and (ii) isotope fractionation effects. We will then discuss the capabilities and limitations of different types of ICP-MS instrumentation for isotope abundance ratio measurements. In this context, different strategies for the correction of instrumental isotope fractionation (IIF) are discussed, and the importance of correctly assessing the uncertainties of isotope abundance ratio measurements is emphasized. Finally, examples of applications of isotopic analysis will be given. These include (i) the use of enriched stable isotope tracers and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), (ii) the use of isotope ratio abundance analysis to solve research questions in the fields of archaeometry, geochemistry, environmental and life sciences, and (iii) the use of isotope pattern deconvolution (IPD). The studies presented here focus on the isotopic systems of Sr, Pb, Ca, Cu and Zn.