kerosene & isotopes

[Hilbrecht@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Heinz Hilbrecht)]

Hi Norman,

Kerosene must be considered to be destructive for carbon & oxygen isotope
work. Hedi Oberhaensli told me about tests she made years ago that gave
very bad results (alteration of isotopes in forams by several permille).
Traces of the kerogene could not even be removed with oxidizing agents such
as hydrogen peroxide. A single Cretaceous carbonate sample I measured a
year ago had -7 per mille in 13C after treatment in kerogen and hydrogen
peroxide. Normal would have been a value of 1-2 per mille.

Thanks for the virus warning!

Heinz



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Heinz Hilbrecht
Geological Institute, ETH Zentrum, Sonneggstr. 5, CH-8092 Zuerich, Switzerland
Tel.: ++41-1-63 23676, Fax: ++41-1-63 21080, Internet: Hilbrecht@erdw.ethz.ch
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