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Variation in the isotopic composition of zinc in the natural environment and the use of zinc isotopes in biogeosciences: a review

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An Erratum to this article was published on 19 July 2008

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) is a trace element that is, as a building block in various enzymes, of vital importance for all living organisms. Zn concentrations are widely determined in dietary, biological and environmental studies. Recent papers report on the first efforts to use stable Zn isotopes in environmental studies, and initial results point to significant Zn isotope fractionation during various biological and chemical processes, and thus highlight their potential as valuable biogeochemical tracers. In this article, we discuss the state-of-the-art analytical methods for isotopic analysis of Zn and the procedures used to obtain accurate Zn isotope ratio results. We then review recent applications of Zn isotope measurements in environmental and life sciences, emphasizing the mechanisms and causes responsible for observed natural variation in the isotopic composition of Zn. We first discuss the Zn isotope variability in extraterrestrial and geological samples. We then focus on biological processes inducing Zn isotope fractionation in plants, animals and humans, and we assess the potential of Zn isotope ratio determination for elucidating sources of atmospheric particles and contamination. Finally, we discuss possible impediments and limitations of the application of Zn isotopes in (geo-) environmental studies and provide an outlook regarding future directions of Zn isotope research.

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Acknowledgements

C.C. and F.V. acknowledge the FWO-Vlaanderen for financial support under the form of the research project 3G066906. Marco Simona is acknowledged for providing sediment trap material from Lake Lugano. We thank Dominik Weiss and an anonymous reviewer for their fruitful comments.

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Author notes

  1. Moritz F. Lehmann

    Present address: Institut für Umweltgeowissenschaften, Universität Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

  2. Christophe Cloquet

    Present address: CRPG-CNRS, 15 rue notre dame des pauvres, 54501, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Christophe Cloquet & Frank Vanhaecke

  2. CRPG-CNRS, 15 Rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, 54501, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France

    Jean Carignan

  3. GEOTOP-UQAM-McGill, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Moritz F. Lehmann

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  1. Christophe Cloquet
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Correspondence to Christophe Cloquet.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00216-008-2272-9

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Cloquet, C., Carignan, J., Lehmann, M.F. et al. Variation in the isotopic composition of zinc in the natural environment and the use of zinc isotopes in biogeosciences: a review. Anal Bioanal Chem 390, 451–463 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-007-1635-y

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