Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry

Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry
	Magnetic sector mass spectrometer used in isotope ratio analysis, through thermal ionization.
Acronym	IRMS
Classification	mass spectrometry

Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is a specialization of mass spectrometry, in which mass spectrometric methods are used to measure the relative abundance of isotopes in a given sample.^[1]^[2]

This technique has two different applications in the earth and environmental sciences. The analysis of 'stable isotopes' is normally concerned with measuring isotopic variations arising from mass-dependent isotopic fractionation in natural systems. On the other hand, radiogenic isotope analysis^[3] involves measuring the abundances of decay-products of natural radioactivity, and is used in most long-lived radiometric dating methods.

^ Paul D, Skrzypek G, Fórizs I (2007). "Normalization of measured stable isotopic compositions to isotope reference scales - a review". Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 21 (18): 3006–14. Bibcode:2007RCMS...21.3006P. doi:10.1002/rcm.3185. PMID 17705258.
^ Stellaard F, Elzinga H (2005). "Analytical techniques in biomedical stable isotope applications: (isotope ratio) mass spectrometry or infrared spectrometry?". Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies. 41 (4): 345–61. doi:10.1080/10256010500384333. PMID 16543190.
^ Dickin, A.P. (2005). Radiogenic Isotope Geology. Cambridge University Press. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2008-10-09.

[pmid17705258-1] Paul D, Skrzypek G, Fórizs I (2007). "Normalization of measured stable isotopic compositions to isotope reference scales - a review". Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 21 (18): 3006–14. Bibcode:2007RCMS...21.3006P. doi:10.1002/rcm.3185. PMID 17705258.

[pmid16543190-2] Stellaard F, Elzinga H (2005). "Analytical techniques in biomedical stable isotope applications: (isotope ratio) mass spectrometry or infrared spectrometry?". Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies. 41 (4): 345–61. doi:10.1080/10256010500384333. PMID 16543190.

[Dickin,_A.P._2005-3] Dickin, A.P. (2005). Radiogenic Isotope Geology. Cambridge University Press. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2008-10-09.

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