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Zhao C, Guo Q, Zhang T, Han X, Usman D. Procedures from samples to sulfur isotopic data: A review. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2024; 38:e9733. [PMID: 38591181 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Sulfur isotopes have been widely used to solve some key scientific questions, especially in the last two decades with advanced instruments and analytical schemes. Different sulfur speciation and multiple isotopes analyzed in laboratories worldwide and in situ microanalysis have also been reported in many articles. However, methods of sampling to measurements are multifarious, and occasionally some inaccuracies are present in published papers. Vague methods may mislead newcomers to the field, puzzle readers, or lead to incorrect data-based correlations. METHODS We have reviewed multiple methods on sulfur isotopic analyses from the perspectives of sampling, laboratory work, and instrumental analysis in order to help reduce operational inhomogeneity and ensure the fidelity of sulfur isotopic data. We do not deem our proposed solutions as the ultimate standard methods but as a lead-in to the overall introduction and summary of the current methods used. RESULTS It has been shown that external contamination and transformation of different sulfur species should be avoided during the sampling, pretreatment, storage, and chemical treatment processes. Conversion rates and sulfur isotopic fractionations during sulfur extraction, purification, and conversion processes must be verified by researchers using standard or known samples. The unification of absence of isotopic fractionation is needed during all steps, and long-term monitoring of standard samples is recommended. CONCLUSION This review compiles more details on different methods in sampling, laboratory operation, and measurement of sulfur isotopes, which is beneficial for researchers' better practice in laboratories. Microanalyses and molecular studies are the frontier techniques that compare the bulk sample with the elemental analysis/continuous flow-gas source stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry method, but the latter is widely used. The development of sulfur isotopic measurements will lead to the innovation in scientific issues with sulfur proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changqiu Zhao
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjun Guo
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tonggang Zhang
- College of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaokun Han
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dawuda Usman
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Rodiouchkina K, Rodushkin I, Goderis S, Vanhaecke F. A comprehensive evaluation of sulfur isotopic analysis (δ 34S and δ 33S) using multi-collector ICP-MS with characterization of reference materials of geological and biological origin. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1240:340744. [PMID: 36641153 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sulfur isotope ratios are often used as biogeochemical tracers to gain understanding of abiotic and biological processes involved in the sulfur cycle in both modern and ancient environments. There is however a lack of matrix-matched well-characterized isotopic reference materials that are essential for controlling the accuracy and precision. This study therefore focused on expanding and complementing the currently available sulfur isotope ratio data by providing the bulk sulfur isotopic composition, as determined using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), for a comprehensive set of commercially and/or readily available biological and geological reference materials. A total 7 isotopic reference materials and 41 elemental reference materials were studied. These reference materials include standards of terrestrial and marine animal origin, terrestrial plant origin, human origin, and geological origin. Different sample preparation protocols, including digestion and subsequent chromatographic isolation of S, were evaluated and the optimum approach selected for each matrix type. For achieving enhanced robustness, the sample preparation and sulfur isotope ratio measurements were done at two different laboratories for selected reference materials, while at one of the laboratories the measurements were additionally performed using two different MC-ICP-MS instruments. Determined δ34SVCDT and δ33SVCDT values compared well between the different laboratories, as well as between the different generation MC-ICP-MS instruments, and for standards that were previously characterized, our data are similar to literature values. The δ34SVCDT ranges determined for the different categories of the reference materials - terrestrial animal origin: +2 to +9‰, marine animal origin: +15 to +20‰, human origin: +6 to +10‰, terrestrial plant origin: -20 to +7‰, and geological origin: -12 to +21‰ - fit the expected values based on previous studies of similar types of matrices well. No significant mass-independent fractionation is observed when considering the expanded uncertainties for Δ33SV-CDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Rodiouchkina
- Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) Research Group, Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 - S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Chemistry; Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC) Research Group, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- ALS Scandinavia AB, ALS Laboratory Group, Aurorum 10, S-977 75, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Steven Goderis
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Chemistry; Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC) Research Group, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frank Vanhaecke
- Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) Research Group, Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 - S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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Spangenberg JE, Saintilan NJ, Palinkaš SS. Safe, accurate, and precise sulfur isotope analyses of arsenides, sulfarsenides, and arsenic and mercury sulfides by conversion to barium sulfate before EA/IRMS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:2163-2179. [PMID: 35066601 PMCID: PMC8821489 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03854-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe stable isotope ratios of sulfur (δ34S relative to Vienna Cañon Diablo Troilite) in sulfates and sulfides determined by elemental analysis and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS) have been proven to be a remarkable tool for studies of the (bio)geochemical sulfur cycles in modern and ancient environments. However, the use of EA/IRMS to measure δ34S in arsenides and sulfarsenides may not be straightforward. This difficulty can lead to potential health and environmental hazards in the workplace and analytical problems such as instrument contamination, memory effects, and a non-matrix-matched standardization of δ34S measurements with suitable reference materials. To overcome these practical and analytical challenges, we developed a procedure for sulfur isotope analysis of arsenides, which can also be safely used for EA/IRMS analysis of arsenic sulfides (i.e., realgar, orpiment, arsenopyrite, and arsenian pyrite), and mercury sulfides (cinnabar). The sulfur dioxide produced from off-line EA combustion was trapped in an aqueous barium chloride solution in a leak-free system and precipitated as barium sulfate after quantitative oxidation of hydrogen sulfite by hydrogen peroxide. The derived barium sulfate was analyzed by conventional EA/IRMS, which bracketed the δ34S values of the samples with three international sulfate reference materials. The protocol (BaSO4-EA/IRMS) was validated by analyses of reference materials and laboratory standards of sulfate and sulfides and achieved accuracy and precision comparable with those of direct EA/IRMS. The δ34S values determined by BaSO4-EA/IRMS in sulfides (arsenopyrite, arsenic, and mercury sulfides) samples from different origins were comparable to those obtained by EA/IRMS, and no sulfur isotope fractionations were introduced during sample preparation. We report the first sulfur isotope data of arsenides obtained by BaSO4-EA/IRMS.
Graphical abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge E Spangenberg
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Nicolas J Saintilan
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sabina Strmić Palinkaš
- Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
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Kümmel S, Horst A, Gelman F, Strauss H, Richnow HH, Gehre M. Simultaneous Compound-Specific Analysis of δ 33S and δ 34S in Organic Compounds by GC-MC-ICPMS Using Medium- and Low-Mass-Resolution Modes. Anal Chem 2020; 92:14685-14692. [PMID: 33095571 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analysis of sulfur (δ34S-CSIA) in organic compounds was established in the last decade employing gas chromatography connected to multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-MC-ICPMS). However, δ33S-CSIA has not yet been reported so far. In this study, we present a method for the simultaneous determination of δ33S and δ34S in organic compounds by GC-MC-ICPMS applying medium- and also low-mass-resolution modes. The method was validated using the international isotope reference materials IAEA-S-1, IAEA-S-2, and IAEA-S-3. Overall analytical uncertainty including normalization and reproducibility for δ33S and δ34S was usually better than ±0.2 mUr (σ) for analytes containing at least 100 pmol of S. Further, it is demonstrated that, despite small isobaric interferences, results obtained at low mass resolution are indistinguishable from medium mass resolution offering the benefit of increased sensitivity and versatility of this method. Additionally, the method was applied for the δ33S and δ34S isotope analysis of industrially produced organic compounds to investigate potential mass-independent fractionation (MIF). The relation between δ34S and δ33S in these compounds followed a mass-dependent fractionation trend (MDF; Δ33S ≤ ±0.2 mUr). Degradation of dimethyl disulfide by direct photolysis caused a small but significant MIF (Δ33S = 0.55 ± 0.04 mUr, n = 3), demonstrating sufficient sensitivity of the method for these types of studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Kümmel
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Axel Horst
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Faina Gelman
- Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yesha'ayahu Leibowitz Street, Jerusalem 9692100, Israel
| | - Harald Strauss
- Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 24, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Hans H Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehre
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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Martinez M, Garcia-Alonso JI, Parat C, Encinar JR, Hécho IL. Anion-Specific Sulfur Isotope Analysis by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Multicollector ICPMS. Anal Chem 2019; 91:10088-10094. [PMID: 31295999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An accurate method has been developed to measure, in a single analytical run, δ34S in sulfite, sulfate and thiosulfate in water samples by liquid chromatography combined with multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). The method is based on the anionic exchange separation of sulfur species prior to their online isotope ratio determination by MC-ICPMS. Mass bias correction was accomplished by a novel approach based on the addition of an internal sulfur-containing standard to the sample. This innovative approach was compared to the sample-standard bracketing procedure. On-column isotopic fractionation was observed and therefore corrected by external calibration. Isotopic ratios were calculated by linear regression slope (LRS), an advantageous method for transient signals, leading to a combined uncertainty of δ34S below 0.25‰ and a reproducibility below 0.5‰ for the injection of 1 μg of S. The method was successfully applied to the measurement of δ34S in synthetic solutions and environmental water samples. Matrix effects leading to δ34S overestimation were observed for sulfate in some samples with high sodium/sulfate mass ratios. The developed analytical procedure simplifies the δ34S analysis of liquid environmental samples since preparation steps are no longer required and allows the analysis of several sulfur-containing species in a single run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Martinez
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux , UMR5254 , 64000 Pau , France
| | - Jose Ignacio Garcia-Alonso
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry , University of Oviedo , Julián Clavería 8 , 33006 , Oviedo , Spain
| | - Corinne Parat
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux , UMR5254 , 64000 Pau , France
| | - Jorge Ruiz Encinar
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry , University of Oviedo , Julián Clavería 8 , 33006 , Oviedo , Spain
| | - Isabelle Le Hécho
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux , UMR5254 , 64000 Pau , France
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Grochowski C, Blicharska E, Krukow P, Jonak K, Maciejewski M, Szczepanek D, Jonak K, Flieger J, Maciejewski R. Analysis of Trace Elements in Human Brain: Its Aim, Methods, and Concentration Levels. Front Chem 2019; 7:115. [PMID: 30891444 PMCID: PMC6411644 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace elements play a crucial role in many biochemical processes, mainly as components of vitamins and enzymes. Although small amounts of metal ions have protective properties, excess metal levels result in oxidative injury, which is why metal ion homeostasis is crucial for the proper functioning of the brain. The changes of their level in the brain have been proven to be a risk factor for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Therefore, it is currently an important application of various analytical methods. This review covers the most important of them: inductively coupled ground mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), flame-induced atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), optical emission spectrometry with excitation in inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), and neutron activation analysis (NAA). Additionally, we present a summary of concentration values found by different research groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cezary Grochowski
- Department of Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
- Department of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Eliza Blicharska
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Krukow
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychiatry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Kamil Jonak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Early Intervention, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcin Maciejewski
- Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Lublin University of Technology, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Szczepanek
- Department of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Jonak
- Department of Foreign Languages, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jolanta Flieger
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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