Large-Volume Injection and Assessment of Reference Standards for n-Alkane δD and δ¹³C Analysis via Gas Chromatography Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ¹³C) in organic compounds is a valuable tool in biogeochemical research. A key limitation of this method is the relatively large amount of sample required to achieve desirable precision.

Methods

We developed a large-volume (20 μL) injection method that allows for high throughput analysis of less concentrated samples and tested it for δ¹³C and δD measurements of n-alkanes. We also conducted a comparison of reference standards and assessed several methods to normalize and correct n-alkane δD and δ13C measurements.

Results

The mean precision of the δD method based on 233 environmental n-alkane samples (two to three replications per sample) is 4.0‰ (1σ, estimated from t

SUBMITTER: Zander PD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11590091 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature