Stable Isotope Analysis – Measuring Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N)

Sample size requirements vary per material (see below)

Turnaround time

• 14 business days

Recommended container

• Ziplock Bags (place in aluminum foil if sample is small or can be crushed during shipment)
• Please send your samples in small boxes instead of envelopes to protect the samples.

 

Pretreatment – Excluding bones, all samples submitted for stable isotope analysis must be ready for measurement (pH neutral, clean and dry). Bone samples submitted only for stable isotope analysis include collagen extraction (for non-cremated bones) or carbonate extraction (for cremated bones).

Stable Isotope Analysis Cost

When requesting for a formal quotation/estimate, please indicate the number of samples per material type and the billing details of the paying institution.

Submittal – Please use this online form. 

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Recommended Sample Size for d¹³C Analysis Only

The following are minimum size recommendations for d¹³C measurements and may not be sufficient in every instance. Please contact us if you are in doubt about the suitability or weight of your sample.

Material	Minimum sample size required (for pretreated d13C samples) *
Bone / Teeth / Antler / Charred Bone	0.5 mg
Charcoal	0.5 mg
Dung	1 mg
Hair	2 mg
Insect (Chitin)	2 mg
Leather	2 mg
Organic Sediment / Gyttja	10 mg
Plants / Seeds	2 mg
Pollen	4 mg
Textile	2 mg
Wood	2 mg
* Pretreated samples must be pH neutral, clean and dry

Materials for d¹³C + d¹⁵N Analysis

Beta Analytic provides d¹³C + d¹⁵N testing for non-cremated bones using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS).
Required sample size: 2 mg after pretreatment
Results: d¹³C (± 0.3 ‰ relative to VPDB), d¹⁵N (± 0.5 ‰ relative to air-N2), %C, %N and C:N values

The lab also accepts these samples on a case-by-case basis:

• Hair material, fish bone (including otoliths), algae, soft tissue, invertebrates, aquatic insects, planktons, fish feed, and fish feces
• Required sample size: 2.5 mg (ready for measurement)

Materials not accepted at this time:

• Plants, seeds, organic sediment and wood
• We may not be able to provide d¹⁵N measurements for charred or burned bones depending on the sample quality.

Please contact us prior to submission to confirm that the lab will accept your sample for d¹³C + d¹⁵N testing.

You may also be interested in our other services:

• Carbon-14 Dating with free stable isotope analysis (if sample size permits)
• d¹³C and d¹⁸O analysis for Carbonates
• d¹³C analysis of Water DIC

Page last updated: February 2023