Problems and potentialities of stable isotopes as tracers for studying pollutant behavior under field conditions
The separated stable isotopes of carbon ($sup 12$C, $sup 13$C), oxygen ($sup 16$O, $sup 17$O, $sup 18$O), and nitrogen ($sup 14$N, $sup 15$N) (the ICONs) have been available in limited quantities for many years( however their great potential utility for tracer studies has been limited primarily for two reasons) first, the separated isotopes in the required chemical forms have been relatively expensive, and, Second, the analytical instrumentation necessary for their detection and assay has been expensive to acquire and difficult to maintain. Recently this situation has begun to change rapidly and, in this paper, we review the problems and potentialities of stable isotopes as tracers for studying pollutant behaviour under field conditions. In this review, the radically changed situation with respect to increased supplies of the ICONs at low cost will be discussed against the backdrop of the continued high cost of certain isotopically labelled compounds and of analyses. Prospects for improvements in the latter areas will be explored in the context of the experience accumulated at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in ICONs research and development activities directed toward ICONs production, synthesis of labelled compounds, and analytical techniques for ICONs. The potential and actual applications of ICONs for studying pollutant behaviour under field conditions will be surveyed with emphasis on: the use of $sup 15$N and $sup 14$N (depleted in $sup 15$N) for tracing N tagged fertilizer; the use of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for studying the distribution and fate of $sup 13$C and $sup 15$N tagged pesticides in the biosphere; and the use of tagged methane as a tracer for transport and dispersion studies in the atmosphere. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM
- NSA Number:
- NSA-33-007354
- OSTI ID:
- 4152517
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on isotope ratios as pollutant source and behavior indicators, Vienna, Austria, 18 Nov 1974; Other Information: See STI/PUB--382; CONF-741120--. Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-76; Related Information: Isotope ratios as pollutant source and behaviour indicators
- Country of Publication:
- IAEA
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Stable isotopes and the study of the brain and behavior
A Comparison of Groundwater Sampling Technologies, Including Passive Diffusion Sampling, for Radionuclide Contamination - 20205
Related Subjects
510200* -Environmental Sciences
Terrestrial-Chemicals Monitoring & Transport
*POLLUTION- TRACER TECHNIQUES
*TRACER TECHNIQUES
CARBON 12
CARBON 13
COST
FERTILIZERS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
METHANE
NITROGEN 14
NITROGEN 15
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
OXYGEN 16
OXYGEN 17
OXYGEN 18
PESTICIDES