Lead is a naturally occurring element found within the earth’s crust as well as in bodies of water, soil and overlaying plants. The rise and fall of lead use through space and time makes the reconstruction of lead isotopes very interesting for research into past civilizations and present environmental studies.
In the food industry, certain products and ingredients are more highly valued when they originate from specific regions of the world. Given the importance of designating an origin to products, geochemical fingerprinting can be used to identify product origin.
In petroleum exploration, it is vital to be able to interpret and date key occurrences within petroleum systems – including petroleum generation and alteration (post-generation). For example, identifying and dating the occurrence of certain authigenic minerals (e.g. carbonate cements) can provide information on when and where oil is likely to accumulate to aid in targeting exploration.
Lead isotopes (Pb) are known to be a very toxic non-essential element, with origins within the earth’s crust. Through anthropogenic activities, lead becomes altered and released into the atmosphere, where it acts as a trace aerosol pollutant.
Bones: Isotopes in Dating, Diets and Migration Studies
Live Webinar: April 14, 2022 – 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Isobar’s webinar on migration studies and geographic origin will focus on lead isotopes for tracking origin and trade of metal artifacts in addition to using strontium isotopes to track diet.
In archaeological studies, lead isotopes are measured for two main applications: tracing origin of metal artefacts and reconstructing human origin and migratory patterns.
Sediments used for climate and environmental reconstructions come in many different forms (including lacustrine, marine, peat, terrestrial and aeolian deposits) and can be characterized by their grain size, shape, sedimentary facies, chemical and biological composition and accumulation/sedimentation rate.
Isobar Science and Beta Analytic’s bones webinar focuses on C-14 and U-Th methods for bone samples. Topics include optimal sample types, common issues, and how to prepare bone samples for isotopic analysis.
In geochemical research, stable and unstable isotopes are used to understand the chemistry behind natural processes. Isotopes are different forms of a single element, with differing numbers of neutrons within their nucleus, resulting in different atomic masses.
