Carbon Isotope Measurements

Unleash the power of carbon isotope measurements with Picarro CRDS analyzers. The carbon cycle is an incredibly complex system with dynamic interactions involving oceans, soils and groundwater, the atmosphere, flora, fauna and human activities (e.g. farming, energy generation). Carbon is exchanged naturally between these systems through processes such as combustion, photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Because of the unbeatable precision and sensitivity of CRDS, Picarro analyzers provide an incredibly simple means to measure the stable isotope ratio, δ¹³C, from the CO₂ produced by microorganisms in soils and sediments. This provides tracking and source-assignation of CO₂ throughout the carbon cycle.

Isotopic CO₂ Flux Measurements. The net fluxes of the isotopologues of CO₂ provide valuable insight into the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. In turn these measurements improve our understanding of dynamics of CO2 exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere critical to understanding the carbon budget.

Geo-Sequestration Site Monitoring. Liquefied CO₂ can be permanently stored deep underground in a process called geo-sequestration. Picarro CRDS gas and isotope analyzers are used to monitor these geo-sequestration sites for possible leaks by detecting CO₂ itself as well as proxy and trace gases such as methane and acetylene.

DIC in Water. A fully integrated Picarro CRDS instrument incorporating a DIC reactor provides simple measurement of both δ¹³C and total DIC for dissolved carbonates, enabling the amount and source type of these compounds to be simultaneously determined.

Origin of Food. Nearly every chemical and biological process fractionates stable isotopes leaving a characteristic signature of δ values. For example, in the case of carbon, C3-type plants photosynthetically fix carbon from atmospheric CO₂ using the Calvin Cycle, whereas C4-type plants use the Hatch-Slack process. C3 products (e.g., orange, apple, beet) preferentially fix ¹²CO₂ to a greater extent and therefore have much lower δ¹³C values compared to their Hatch-Slack counterparts (e.g., corn and cane sugar). Measurements of δ¹³C from the CO₂ produced by the combustion of food products provides important information regarding food origin and purity.