Collection, compilation and evaluation of elemental and isotopic data of calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite materials and the assessment of their usability to act as reference materials

Isotopic information of (calcium)carbonates and hydroxyapatites are widely used in different fields of research in order to study provenance, migration, authenticity, and past records of environmental conditions (e.g. in climate change adaption). The objective of this project is to collect and compile data on the isotopic composition and mass fractions (with a focus on Sr, Pb, B, Ba, Li, Mg) of materials based on calcium carbonates and hydroxy apatites.

This project will evaluate the data with respect to the metrological quality of the analytical approach. For the first time, the isotope user community will be provided with metrologically sound values relative to the accepted 0-anchor materials for isotopic delta data in materials. This is of significant importance especially for solid sample analysis (e.g. by Laser ablation multi collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC ICP-MS)). The values compiled within the project will be based on internationally published data as well on laboratory results. International laboratories (with a focus on metrological institutes) will be contacted so that they may provide their according data. The evaluation of the data will be based on metrological principles and according to the best practices of the IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW). Along with the data, uncertainties of measurements will be collected and evaluated. A combined standard uncertainty budget will be calculated and an uncertainty value will be assigned to the recommended isotope values for the corresponding materials. The dataset will be provided to the stakeholders via the CIAAW homepage as well as scientific publications.

For more information, contact the Task Group Chair Thomas Prohaska <thomas.prohaska@boku.ac.at> https://iupac.org/project/2017-023-2-200