APPLICATION OF STABLE ISOTOPES RATIO ACCURATE
MEASUREMENTS IN SOURCE FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION
Zeev Aizenshtat1, Ward Said-Ahmed1 & Alon Amrani2
The Chemistry Institute and Casali Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
1
Division of Geology and Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena California,
USA
2
E-mail: zeev@vms.huji.ac.il
The use of stable isotopes Ratio mass-spectrometry (IRMS) was suggested in 1950 and since has
been adapted to various analytical fields. However, the tedious off line preparation of gaseous
products to be introduced into the MS limited applications. It is only in the last 15 years that
various elemental, chromatographic and thermal disrobers could be directly connected through
continued flow line into extremely sensitive MS. These innovations allowed our group to apply IRMS
studies into both academic as well as industrial new domains.
From the analytical stand point of view it can be shown that accurate stable isotopes ratios (C,O,S)
can be employed on natural samples, without enhancement of the less abundant isotope to
determine; biogenic source or chemical processes. These capabilities combined with the versatility
of separations on-line enables us to follow single compounds out of complex mixtures. Research
areas such as environment changes, geochemical pathways and chemical mechanisms can benefit
from the use of these tolls.
Since our group has focused in the last years on both carbon and sulfur cycles we intend to discuss
some specific achievements and their analytical applications significance (Aizenshtat and Amrani
2004: Amrani et al., 2006, Amrani et al., 2008 in this session) .
References:
1.
Aizenshtat, Z., Amrani, A.,. Significance of
sedimentary organic matter I. The role of reduced sulfur species in the diagenetic stage: a
conceptual review. In Hill, R.J. et al. (Eds.).Geochemical Investigations: A tribute to Isaac R.
Kaplan, The Geochemical Society, Special Publication No. 8, Chapter 2 pp 15-33. (2004). Aizenshtat
Z., Amrani A., Significance of
II.
Thermal changes of Type II-S Kerogens Catagenetic stage controlled mechanisms. Study and
conceptual overview. ibid 35-50 (2004).
2.
Amrani, A., Kamyshny, Jr., A. Lev, O., Aizenshtat, Z., Sulfur stable isotopes distribution of
polysulfides anions in (NH4)2Sn aqueous solution. Inorganic Chemistry (ACS) on line
2006.45.1427-1429 +Supplements (5 pages and figures).
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