Journal
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
Volume 19, Issue 8, Pages 1063-1068Publisher
JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD
DOI: 10.1002/rcm.1889
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We investigated the effects of sample acidification on the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (delta(13) C and delta(15) N), as well as the organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) composition, of an algal culture and a marine sediment. Replicate measurements of untreated and acid-treated samples were made using 1 M, 2 M and 6 M HCl, 6% H2SO3 and 1 M H3PO4. For all treatments the precision of the analysis for the acid-treated sample was equal to or less than that in the non-acidified sample. For the algae, analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant differences in the mean OC and TN concentration, or delta(13) C and delta(15) N composition, between any acid treatment and non-acidified samples. For the sediment sample a comparison could only be made between the different acid treatments because the untreated contained significant amounts (-30%) of carbonate carbon. ANOVA indicated that the mean OC determined in sediment samples after the 1 M HCl treatment and the mean delta(13) C values after the 6% H2SO3 and I M H3PO4 treatments were significantly different (p < 0.013 and < 0.05, respectively) from all other treatments. Mass balance calculations indicate that in some instances delta(13)C values were biased due to a contribution from unreacted carbonate carbon. There were no significant differences in the mean TN between any acid-treated and non-acidified samples. The mean delta(15)N values after 6 M HCI, 6% H2SO3 and 1 M H3PO4 treatments were significantly different from the untreated sediment sample (p < 0.044). Based on the significant bias observed for the delta(15)N and delta(13)C values, a weak (1 - 2 M) HCl solution is confirmed as the most appropriate acid for the removal of inorganic carbon from natural materials requiring elemental and isotopic analysis. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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