Research Article

Two new organic reference materials for δ13C and δ15N measurements and a new value for the δ13C of NBS 22 oil†‡

  1. Haiping Qi1,
  2. Tyler B. Coplen1,*,
  3. Heike Geilmann2,
  4. Willi A. Brand2,
  5. J. K. Böhlke1

Article first published online: 23 OCT 2003

DOI: 10.1002/rcm.1219

Issue

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry

Volume 17, Issue 22, pages 2483–2487, 30 November 2003

Additional Information

How to Cite

Qi, H., Coplen, T. B., Geilmann, H., Brand, W. A. and Böhlke, J. K. (2003), Two new organic reference materials for δ13C and δ15N measurements and a new value for the δ13C of NBS 22 oil. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 17: 2483–2487. doi: 10.1002/rcm.1219

Author Information

  1. 1

    U.S. Geological Survey, 431 National Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA

  2. 2

    Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, P.O. Box 10 01 64, 07701 Jena, Germany

*U.S. Geological Survey, 431 National Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA.

  1. †

    Use of the brand, firm, or trade names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

  2. ‡

    This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 23 OCT 2003
  2. Article first published online: 23 OCT 2003
  3. Manuscript Revised: 11 SEP 2003
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 11 SEP 2003
  5. Manuscript Received: 29 JUL 2003

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Abstract

Analytical grade L-glutamic acid is chemically stable and has a C/N mole ratio of 5, which is close to that of many of natural biological materials, such as blood and animal tissue. Two L-glutamic acid reference materials with substantially different 13C and 15N abundances have been prepared for use as organic reference materials for C and N isotopic measurements. USGS40 is analytical grade L-glutamic acid and has a δ13C value of −26.24‰ relative to VPDB and a δ15N value of −4.52‰ relative to N2 in air. USGS41 was prepared by dissolving analytical grade L-glutamic acid with L-glutamic acid enriched in 13C and 15N. USGS41 has a δ13C value of +37.76‰ and a δ15N value of +47.57‰. The δ13C and δ15N values of both materials were measured against the international reference materials NBS 19 calcium carbonate (δ13C = +1.95‰), L-SVEC lithium carbonate (δ13C = −46.48‰), IAEA-N-1 ammonium sulfate (δ15N = 0.43‰), and USGS32 potassium nitrate (δ15N = 180‰) by on-line combustion continuous-flow and off-line dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Both USGS40 and USGS41 are isotopically homogeneous; reproducibility of δ13C is better than 0.13‰, and that of δ15N is better than 0.13‰ in 100-μg amounts. These two isotopic reference materials can be used for (i) calibrating local laboratory reference materials, and (ii) quantifying drift with time, mass-dependent fractionations, and isotope-ratio-scale contraction in the isotopic analysis of various biological materials. Isotopic results presented in this paper yield a δ13C value for NBS 22 oil of −29.91‰, in contrast to the commonly accepted value of −29.78‰ for which off-line blank corrections probably have not been quantified satisfactorily. Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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