title: Fast high-precision on-line determination of hydrogen isotope ratios of water or ice by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry.
abstract: A new fast high-precision on-line technique is described for the determination of hydrogen isotope ratios of water by continuous-flow mass spectrometry. For the first time H(2)/H(2)O-equilibration using a platinum catalyst has been used in a fully continuous process. A significant reduction in the H(2)/H(2)O-equilibration time is achieved by a complete vaporization of the water and by increasing the exchange temperature to 100 degrees C. The analysis time is only approximately 5 min/sample which includes equilibration and processing. Measurement precision and accuracy are better than 1 per thousand and sample consumption is only approximately 5 microL. This new technique allows the measurement of a wide range of aqueous samples either in a semi-continuous way (discrete samples are injected one after another) or in a fully continuous way. This allows us, for the first time, to make continuous measurements of ice cores.
authors.affiliation: Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leuenberger
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D003903:Deuterium / Q000032:analysis; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D007053:Ice / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007053:Ice; D014867:Water; D006859:Hydrogen; D003903:Deuterium