Application of heavy stable isotopes in forensic isotope geochemistry: A review

Strontium isotopes in tap water from the coterminous USA

“…Most geo-location research using stable isotope analysis has focused on predictable, spatially dependent variations in the hydrogen (d 2 H) and oxygen (d 18 O) stable isotope ratios of water and the transfer of those isotopic variations through ecological systems and into plant and animal tissues (see Bowen 2010, Ehleringer et al 2010 andreferences therein). Yet the analysis of other elements, such as strontium (Sr), may also prove useful for geo-location (Aggarwal et al 2008) and could complement the region-of-origin information provided by hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. This is because the relative abundances of Sr isotopes in the environment vary spatially and are largely dependent upon local geology (Å berg 1995(Å berg , Bentley 2006.…”

“…Due to similarities in charge and atomic radius, Sr substitutes for calcium (Ca) in biological systems (Å berg 1995) and thus both primary producers and higher-level consumers record information about local geology in the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of their tissues. Some of the most well documented examples of using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for geo-location are the analysis of tooth enamel and bone apatite from human remains to reconstruct movements of historic (Price et al 2002, Hodell et al 2004, Bentley 2006, Montgomery 2010, Price et al 2011) and modern (Aggarwal et al 2008, Juarez 2008 Sr have been used to investigate the regions-of-origin of foods and drugs consumed by humans, including coffee (Rodrigues et al 2010, Rodrigues et al 2011, dairy products (Rossmann et al 2000, Crittenden et al 2007, juice , heirloom vegetables (Swoboda et al 2008), wine (Almeida and Vasconcelos 2004), and marijuana (West et al 2009). Measured 87 Sr/ 86 Sr has also proven useful in reconstructing the movements of non-human animals, most especially birds (Chamberlain et al 1997, Font et al 2007, Sellick et al 2009) and fish (Ingram and Weber 1999, Kennedy et al 2000, Barnett-Johnson et al 2008.…”

Inductively coupled plasma- and glow discharge plasma-sector field mass spectrometry : Part II. Applications

“…226,227 Nonetheless, the field of applications is still expanding. Geo-and cosmochemists also study elements with a high first ionization potential for which the isotope ratios cannot (or not easily) be measured via TIMS and use isotope ratios affected by isotope fractionation as palaeoproxies for parameters, such as temperature, pH or oxidation potential.…”

Forensic Assessment of Metal Contaminated Rivers in the 21st Century Using Geochemical and Isotopic Tracers

“…More quantitative estimates may be provided by statistical mixing (or unmixing) models. Although exceptions exist (e.g., [48,63,64]), these models have been most extensively used to determine the relative contribution of contaminants from non-point sources of pollution within river, wetland, and lacustrine environments [32][33][34][35][36]. Nonetheless, the approach may provide highly valuable information regarding the primary source(s) responsible for contaminating a specific river reach, particularly given advances in tracer technologies which are describe below.…”

“…Non-point source tracers tend to encompass a wide range of properties (e.g., grain size or mineral magnetics) as the intent is often to identify the source of sediment from a particular soil or land-use type. The tracing of point-source contaminants has historically relied on geochemical parameters, including one or more of the contaminants that is of concern [15,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. The use of the contaminant as a tracer allows for the direct assessment of contaminant provenance along the river, its dispersal rates, and the relative contributions from the identified sources.…”