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Continuous flow stable isotope methods for study of δ 13 C fractionation during halomethane production and degradation
Author(s) -
Kalin Robert. M.,
Hamilton John. T.G,
Harper David. B.,
Miller Laurence G.,
Lamb Clare,
Kennedy James. T.,
Downey Angela,
McCauley Sean,
Goldstein Allen H.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.219
Subject(s) - chemistry , methanethiol , mass spectrometry , isotope ratio mass spectrometry , gas chromatography , stable isotope ratio , fractionation , isotope , isotopes of carbon , environmental chemistry , isotope analysis , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , organic chemistry , sulfur , total organic carbon , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/MS/IRMS) methods for δ 13 C measurement of the halomethanes CH 3 Cl, CH 3 Br, CH 3 I and methanethiol (CH 3 SH) during studies of their biological production, biological degradation, and abiotic reactions are presented. Optimisation of gas chromatographic parameters allowed the identification and quantification of CO 2 , O 2 , CH 3 Cl, CH 3 Br, CH 3 I and CH 3 SH from a single sample, and also the concurrent measurement of δ 13 C for each of the halomethanes and methanethiol. Precision of δ 13 C measurements for halomethane standards decreased (±0.3, ±0.5 and ±1.3‰) with increasing mass (CH 3 Cl, CH 3 Br, CH 3 I, respectively). Given that carbon isotope effects during biological production, biological degradation and some chemical (abiotic) reactions can be as much as 100‰, stable isotope analysis offers a precise method to study the global sources and sinks of these halogenated compounds that are of considerable importance to our understanding of stratospheric ozone destruction. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.