Isotopic tracing of perchlorate in the environment

Book · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011

OSTI ID:1034367

Sturchio, N. C. ^[1]; Bohlke, J. K. ^[2]; Gu, Baohua ^[3]; Hatzinger, Paul B. ^[4]; Jackson, Andrew ^[5]

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1. University of Illinois, Chicago
2. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA
3. ORNL
4. Shaw Environmental, Inc., Lawrenceville, NJ
5. Texas Tech University, Lubbock

Isotopic data can be used for tracing the origin and behavior of ClO4- in the environment. Four independently varying parameters have been measured on individual ClO4- samples for this purpose: delta 37Cl, 18O, 17O, and 36Cl/Cl. At least three distinct types of ClO4- have been identified isotopically, and these distinctions have proven to be useful in forensic applications. Additional data for natural ClO4- are urgently needed, however, to obtain a global picture of its isotopic variations. Improved methods for sample preparation and isotopic analysis with much better sensitivity would be helpful for measuring ClO4- isotopic variations in some sample types such as aerosols and precipitation as well as foodstuffs and bodily fluids, which have been precluded by the impracticality of obtaining the currently-required milligram amounts of ClO4-.. Further experimental and theoretical investigations of atmospheric ClO4- production mechanisms may lead to improved explanations of observed isotopic variations in natural samples.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: ORNL work for others
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1034367
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
AEROSOLS
FOOD
ISOTOPE RATIO
ORIGIN
PERCHLORATES
PRECIPITATION
PRODUCTION
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SENSITIVITY