Natural stable isotopes: new tracers in environmental health studies

Stable Isotopes in Ecosystem Studies

The use of stable isotopes to solve biogeochemical problems in ecosystem analysis is increasing rapidly because stable isotope data can contribute both source-sink (tracer) and process information: The elements C, N, S, H, and all have more than one isotope, and isotopic compositions of natural materials can be measured with great precision with a mass spectrometer. Isotopic compositions change...

Stable isotopes applied as water tracers in column and field studies

The stable isotopes deuterium (H, D) and oxygen 18 (O) were applied in water for use as tracers in column experiments and in two field studies. Their performance was compared against uranine and was used to characterize saturated and unsaturated water movement and depths of plant water uptake. Deuterium and O are completely soluble and chemically and biologically stable. They are not subject to...

Environmental Isotopes in Groundwater Studies

Linking mercury, carbon, and nitrogen stable isotopes in Tibetan biota: Implications for using mercury stable isotopes as source tracers

Tibetan Plateau is located at a mountain region isolated from direct anthropogenic sources. Mercury concentrations and stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and mercury were analyzed in sediment and biota for Nam Co and Yamdrok Lake. Biotic mercury concentrations and high food web magnification factors suggested that Tibetan Plateau is no longer a pristine site. The primary source of methylmercu...

Applications of C and N stable isotopes to ecological and environmental studies in seagrass ecosystems.

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are increasingly used in marine ecosystems, for ecological and environmental studies. Here, we examine some applications of stable isotopes as ecological integrators or tracers in seagrass ecosystem studies. We focus on both the use of natural isotope abundance as food web integrators or environmental tracers and on the use of stable isotopes as experiment...