New Ag3PO4 comparison material for stable oxygen isotope analysis

Rationale A silver phosphate reference material (Ag3PO4) for the measurement of stable oxygen isotope compositions is much needed; however, it is not available from the authorities distributing reference materials. This study aims to fill this gap by calibrating a new Ag3PO4 stable isotope comparison material produced by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU). Methods Aliquots of Ag3PO4 were distributed to four laboratories who frequently measure the delta O-18 value in Ag3PO4; the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), the University of Western Australia (UWA), the University of Helsinki (UH), and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). The instruments used to perform the measurements were high-temperature conversion elemental analysers coupled with continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometers. The working gas delta O-18 value was set to 0 parts per thousand and the normalization was done by a three-point linear regression using the reference materials IAEA-601, IAEA-602, and NBS127. Results The mean delta O-18 value of the new BOKU Ag3PO4 comparison material on the VSMOW-SLAP scale is 13.71 parts per thousand and the combined uncertainty is estimated as +/- 0.34 parts per thousand. This estimated uncertainty is within the range typical for comparison materials of phosphates and sulphates. Consistent results from the different laboratories probably derived from similar instrumentation, and use of the same reference materials and normalization procedure. The matrix effect of the different reference materials used in this study was deemed negligible. Conclusions The BOKU Ag3PO4 can be used as an alternative comparison material for stable oxygen isotope analysis and is available for stable isotope research laboratories to facilitate calibration.

Automated summary

This study successfully calibrated a new silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) stable isotope comparison material, providing reliable support for stable oxygen isotope analysis. Consistent results from multiple laboratories suggest that the use of different instruments and the same normalization procedure can help reduce errors.