A Preliminary Study to Determine the Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotopic Compositions of Natural and Bottled Water using High Sensitivity Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

In this study, we introduce the stable isotopic results of water using a recently installed high sensitivity isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HS-IRMS) system at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM). As a result of analytical method validation through an international proficiency test, the 2020 WICO (Water Isotope Inter-Comparison), organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the KIGAM IRMS laboratory showed satisfactory performance. Furthermore, stable isotopic compositions of bottled water samples from South Korea were measured using the HS-IRMS with a high temperature conversion elemental analyzer, and this method was re-validated and confirmed by a comparison with stable isotope results obtained using an equilibrium method.