Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

The technique of Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry(IRMS)is the gold standard of accurate and precise analyses for all sorts of isotopic relative abundance amongst analytical techniques. In many fields, the extensive application of continuous flow IRMS not only improves effective runs, but also reduces...

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Main Authors: ZHA Xiang-ping, GONG Bing, ZHENG Yong-fei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Science Press, PR China 2014-07-01
Series:Yankuang ceshi
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/id/0691b869-82d9-416e-b608-329a8b73e674
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author ZHA Xiang-ping
GONG Bing
ZHENG Yong-fei
author_facet ZHA Xiang-ping
GONG Bing
ZHENG Yong-fei
author_sort ZHA Xiang-ping
collection DOAJ
description The technique of Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry(IRMS)is the gold standard of accurate and precise analyses for all sorts of isotopic relative abundance amongst analytical techniques. In many fields, the extensive application of continuous flow IRMS not only improves effective runs, but also reduces sample size as well as enhancing sensitivity. However, for the purpose of obtaining more accurate results, which can be compared between different laboratories, it is imperative to have good strategies and protocols in the run, monitoring of routine analytical performance and quality. In addition, detailed calibration for the raw data is highly desirable. In order to obtain reliable data by using IRMS coupled with EA (TC/EA), requirements need to be met as follows: (1) instrument set-up and environmental control, measurement preparation, sample preparation and weight, reference materials utilization and selection, sequence etc; (2) strictly calibrated systems including tuning sensitivity and linearity, monitoring the background, stability detection, H3+ correction; (3) reliable data reduction. The strategies of calibrating, normalization and control linear by using reference materials are discriminated in different labs. So it is expected to have a unified data-processing programme. Two-point normalization (or multi-point normalization) is the best executive program at present. If two different reference materials are used four times for normalization, or four different reference materials are used two times for each batch of samples, this may reduce the normalization uncertainty by 50%. The modern IRMS is capable of measuring natural isotope ratio variations with an uncertainty better than 0.02. Nevertheless, it is a challenge to the use of reference materials with the cover range of unknown isotopes, especially for H isotope absence of the standard materials and poor precision (an order of magnitude lower compared with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen isotope). This paper aims to highlight general principles of IRMS coupled to an EA or a TC/EA and the practices of analytical application of stable isotope ratio measurement. The knowledge on the protocols of continuous flow IRMS analyses is necessary for the acquisition of reasonable accuracy and precision for stable isotope composition.
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spelling doaj.art-377f65c3a871457db9495381525b93a22023-02-10T01:00:32ZengScience Press, PR ChinaYankuang ceshi0254-53572014-07-01334453467ykcs-33-4-453Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass SpectrometryZHA Xiang-ping0GONG Bing1ZHENG Yong-fei2Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaThe technique of Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry(IRMS)is the gold standard of accurate and precise analyses for all sorts of isotopic relative abundance amongst analytical techniques. In many fields, the extensive application of continuous flow IRMS not only improves effective runs, but also reduces sample size as well as enhancing sensitivity. However, for the purpose of obtaining more accurate results, which can be compared between different laboratories, it is imperative to have good strategies and protocols in the run, monitoring of routine analytical performance and quality. In addition, detailed calibration for the raw data is highly desirable. In order to obtain reliable data by using IRMS coupled with EA (TC/EA), requirements need to be met as follows: (1) instrument set-up and environmental control, measurement preparation, sample preparation and weight, reference materials utilization and selection, sequence etc; (2) strictly calibrated systems including tuning sensitivity and linearity, monitoring the background, stability detection, H3+ correction; (3) reliable data reduction. The strategies of calibrating, normalization and control linear by using reference materials are discriminated in different labs. So it is expected to have a unified data-processing programme. Two-point normalization (or multi-point normalization) is the best executive program at present. If two different reference materials are used four times for normalization, or four different reference materials are used two times for each batch of samples, this may reduce the normalization uncertainty by 50%. The modern IRMS is capable of measuring natural isotope ratio variations with an uncertainty better than 0.02. Nevertheless, it is a challenge to the use of reference materials with the cover range of unknown isotopes, especially for H isotope absence of the standard materials and poor precision (an order of magnitude lower compared with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen isotope). This paper aims to highlight general principles of IRMS coupled to an EA or a TC/EA and the practices of analytical application of stable isotope ratio measurement. The knowledge on the protocols of continuous flow IRMS analyses is necessary for the acquisition of reasonable accuracy and precision for stable isotope composition.http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/id/0691b869-82d9-416e-b608-329a8b73e674continuous-flowisotope ratio mass spectrometryquality controlreference materialsnormalizationcombined uncertainty
spellingShingle ZHA Xiang-ping
GONG Bing
ZHENG Yong-fei
Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
Yankuang ceshi
continuous-flow
isotope ratio mass spectrometry
quality control
reference materials
normalization
combined uncertainty
title Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
title_full Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
title_fullStr Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
title_full_unstemmed Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
title_short Data Normalization and Quality Control of Light Element Stable Isotope Analyses by Means of Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
title_sort data normalization and quality control of light element stable isotope analyses by means of continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry
topic continuous-flow
isotope ratio mass spectrometry
quality control
reference materials
normalization
combined uncertainty
url http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/id/0691b869-82d9-416e-b608-329a8b73e674
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