Rapid and high-precision measurement of sulfur isotope and sulfur concentration in sediment pore water by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Xiao-Peng Bian; Tao Yang; An-Jun Lin; Shao-Yong Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2014.08.053

Rapid and high-precision measurement of sulfur isotope and sulfur concentration in sediment pore water by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Talanta. 2015 Jan:132:8-14. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2014.08.053. Epub 2014 Aug 27.

Authors

Xiao-Peng Bian¹, Tao Yang², An-Jun Lin¹, Shao-Yong Jiang³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China. Electronic address: yangtao@nju.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Faculty of Earth Resources and Collaborative Innovation Center for Scarce and Strategic Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China.

PMID: 25476272
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2014.08.053

Abstract

We have developed a technique for the rapid, precise and accurate determination of sulfur isotopes (δ(34)S) by MC-ICP-MS applicable to a range of sulfur-bearing solutions of different sulfur content. The 10 ppm Alfa-S solution (ammonium sulfate solution, working standard of the lab of the authors) was used to bracket other Alfa-S solutions of different concentrations and the measured δ(34)SV-CDT values of Alfa-S solutions deviate from the reference value to varying degrees (concentration effect). The stability of concentration effect has been verified and a correction curve has been constructed based on Alfa-S solutions to correct measured δ(34)SV-CDT values. The curve has been applied to AS solutions (dissolved ammonium sulfate from the lab of the authors) and pore water samples successfully, validating the reliability of our analytical method. This method also enables us to measure the sulfur concentration simultaneously when analyzing the sulfur isotope composition. There is a strong linear correlation (R(2)>0.999) between the sulfur concentrations and the intensity ratios of samples and the standard. We have constructed a regression curve based on Alfa-S solutions and this curve has been successfully used to determine sulfur concentrations of AS solutions and pore water samples. The analytical technique presented here enable rapid, precise and accurate S isotope measurement for a wide range of sulfur-bearing solutions - in particular for pore water samples with complex matrix and varying sulfur concentrations. Also, simultaneous measurement of sulfur concentrations is available.

Keywords: Concentration effect; MC–ICP–MS; Sulfur concentration; Sulfur isotope.