Stable isotope compositions of cadmium in geological materials and meteorites determined by multiple-collector ICPMS

A new technique for the precise and accurate determination of Cd stable isotope compositions has been developed and applied to geological materials and meteorites. The Cd isotope analyses are performed by multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) using external normalization to Ag for mass bias correction. The accuracy of the new procedure was ascertained by the comparison of data for meteorites with published results acquired by thermal ionization mass spectrometry and double spiking. Some results were also confirmed by measurements using external normalization to Sb on a different MC-ICPMS instrument. A long-term reproducibility of +/- 1.1 epsilonCd/amu (2 sd) was obtained for separate dissolutions and multiple analyses of several rock and meteorite samples (eCd/amu represents the deviation of a Cd isotope ratio of a sample relative to the JMC Cd standard in parts per 104, normalized to a mass difference of 1 amu). As little as 5-20 ng of Cd are sufficient for the acquisition of precise and accurate data. Terrestrial rock and mineral samples display little variations in Cd isotope compositions (epsilonCd/amu between -1 and + 1.2), except for a tektite sample that was found to be enriched in the heavy Cd isotopes by +7.6 eCd/amu. The carbonaceous chondrites Orgueil, Murchison and Allende have Cd isotope ratios that are unfractionated relative to the JMC Cd standard and terrestrial rocks. The ordinary chondrites analyzed in this study and a Rumuruti chondrite display Cd isotope fractionations, ranging from -19 to + 36 epsilonCd/amu. These results suggest that substantial (inorganic) natural Cd isotope fractionations are generated only by evaporation and/or condensation processes. The lack of resolvable Cd isotope variations between the different carbonaceous chondrites, despite large differences in Cd concentrations, implies that the primary depletion of Cd in the early solar system did not involve Rayleigh evaporation. The Cd isotope fractionation in ordinary and Rumuruti chondrites is probably due to the redistribution of Cd by evaporation and condensation processes during thermal metamorphism on the parent bodies. Models that explain the enrichments of highly volatile elements in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites by primary equilibrium condensation appear to be inconsistent with the Cd isotope data. Copyright (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd.