Compound-specific isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Carbon isotope fractionation effects of individual compounds were observed in living organisms and also as a result of enzymatic isotope effects and reaction kinetics in biological systems. Such fractionation effects have to be examined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry in order to understand specific processes in life sciences or in environment.75... [Pg.331]

Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers that interface directly to a gas chromatograph are commercially available. This type of analysis is known variously as gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS), gas chromatography-combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry, or compound-specific isotope analysis. The same principle of operation has also been used for more general isotope ratio analyses, where the components of interest are combusted as bulk samples. This type of arrangement, known as continuous flow-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, allows rapid automated analyses of and... [Pg.2889]

It should be mentioned that the same kind of equations hold if stable isotopes are applied for labelling of the elements or compounds to be determined by isotope dilution analysis. In this application, isotope ratios are taking the place of specific activities and they are preferably measured by mass spectrometry. [Pg.350]