Precise measurement of Fe isotopes in marine and biological samples by pseudo-high-resolution multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS)

This paper introduces an enhanced technique for analyzing iron isotopes in complex marine and biological samples. A dedicated iron purification method for biological marine matrices, utilizing three ion exchange columns, is validated. The MC-ICPMS in pseudo-high-resolution mode determines precise iron isotopic ratios, with sensitivity improved through the DSN-100 desolvating nebulizer system and Apex-IR. Only 2 µg of iron on DSN versus 1 µg on Apex is needed for six replicates (30–60 times improvement) while 10 to 20 µg is required for a single measurement on a wet system considering the resolution power (Rp) is maintained at 11,000–13,000. The Ni-doping method with a Fe/Ni ratio of 1 yields more accurate isotopic ratios than standard-sample bracketing alone. Measurement reproducibility of triplicate samples from marine biological experiments on MC-ICPMS is ± 0.03‰ (2SD) for δ⁵⁶Fe and ± 0.07‰ for δ⁵⁷Fe (2SD). This study introduces a novel iron purification process specifically designed for marine and biological samples, enhancing sensitivity and enabling more reliable measurements with smaller sample sizes and reduced uncertainties. It proposes iron isotopic compositions for biological reference materials, offering a valuable reference dataset in diverse scientific disciplines.