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High-precision potassium isotope analysis using the Nu Sapphire collision cell (CC)-MC-ICP-MS

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Abstract

This study presents high-precision analyses of stable potassium (K) isotope ratio using the recently-developed, collision-cell multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CC-MC-ICP-MS, Nu Sapphire). The accuracy of our analyses is confirmed by measuring well-characterized geostandards (including rocks and seawater). Our results are consistent with literature values and a precision of 0.04‰ (2SD) has been achieved based on multiple measurements of BCR-2 geostandard over a six-month period. We also evaluate factors that may lead to artificial isotope fractionations, including the mismatches in K concentration and acid molarity between samples and bracketing standards, as well as potential matrices. As the K adsorption capacity of AGW50-X8 (200–400 mesh) is reduced with an increasing amount of matrix elements, less than 150 µg K was loaded during the column chemistry. To evaluate the potential use of K isotopes as an archive of paleo seawater composition, δ41K values of an international seawater standard (IAPSO), a Mn-nodule (NOD-P-1), and two iron formation standards (FeR-2 and FeR-4) are reported. The δ41K value of IAPSO is consistent with other seawater samples reported previously, further substantiating a homogeneous K isotopic distribution in modern global oceans. The K isotopes in Mn-nodule (NOD-P-1: −0.121±0.013‰) and iron formation samples (FeR-2: −0.538±0.009‰; FeR-4: −0.401±0.008‰) seem to be an effective tracer of their formation genesis and compositional changes of ancient seawater. Our results suggest that high-precision measurements of stable K isotopes can be routinely obtained and open up a large variety of geological applications, such as continental weathering, hydrothermal circulation and alteration of oceanic crust.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Qinghan YUAN, Xuyang ZHENG, and Xiaoqiang LI for the development of K isotope analysis and Yanhong LIU for assistance in ICP-OES analysis. We also thank Yan HU, Zidong PENG, the anonymous reviewers and the editor-in-Chief Yongfei ZHENG for insightful comments and helpful discussions. This study was financially supported by the Experimental Technology Innovation Fund of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. TEC 202103) and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Wenjun Li, Mengmeng Cui, Jing Wang, Bingyu Gao, Shanke Liu & Benxun Su

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Mengmeng Cui, Qiqi Pan, Meng Yuan & Benxun Su

  3. State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Qiqi Pan & Meng Yuan

  4. Nu Instruments, Wrexham, LL13 9XS, UK

    Ye Zhao

  5. Isotope Laboratory, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Fang-Zhen Teng

  6. Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Guilin Han

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  1. Wenjun Li
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Correspondence to Wenjun Li or Benxun Su.

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This work was supported by the Experimental Technology Innovation

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Li, W., Cui, M., Pan, Q. et al. High-precision potassium isotope analysis using the Nu Sapphire collision cell (CC)-MC-ICP-MS. Sci. China Earth Sci. 65, 1510–1521 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-022-9948-6

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