What is stable isotope mass spectrometry?
Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) measures the relative abundance of stable isotopes in a sample. However, for a given element, the abundances of the various stable isotopes vary according to physical, physiological, and biochemical isotopic fractionation processes.
Who invented IRMS?
IRMS was first developed in 1989 in conjunction with G.D. Searle and Company’s Medical Information Department. IRMS has been subsequently advanced and expanded for over 25 years.
What are 3 applications of stable isotopes?
Stable isotopes are non-radioactive forms of atoms. Although they do not emit radiation, their unique properties enable them to be used in a broad variety of applications, including water and soil management, environmental studies, nutrition assessment studies and forensics.
Where are stable isotopes used?
Stable isotopes have helped uncover migratory routes, trophic levels, and the geographic origin of migratory animals. They can be used on land as well as in the ocean and have revolutionized how researchers study animal movement.
What are isotope ratios used for?
The isotopic ratio provides information on the origin of humic substances. During biochemical and chemical reactions, the isotopes of a given element undergo fractionation, which depends not only on their mass, but also on the nature of the reaction.
How do we use stable isotopes in our daily lives?
Radioactive isotopes have many useful applications. In medicine, for example, cobalt-60 is extensively employed as a radiation source to arrest the development of cancer. Other radioactive isotopes are used as tracers for diagnostic purposes as well as in research on metabolic processes.
How do stable isotopes help us reconstruct past environments and lifestyles?
Stable isotopes have a stable nucleus that does not decay. Their abundance, therefore, stays the same over time, which allows for many useful applications in archaeology (and other disciplines like ecology or forensic science).
What do stable isotopes tell us?