Editorial: Advances in metals and trace elements isotopes measurements, experiments and application in environmental sciences

Abstract

The isotopic composition of trace metals and elements can be used to characterize their sources of emission and to trace the physicochemical or biological processes that these elements undergo. Precise measurements of trace metals and their isotopic compositions are pre-required for such research issues. Regarding the processes leading to fractionation between isotopes and thereby to a modification of the isotopic composition, the main mechanisms of isotopic fractionations result from physicochemical reactions such as redox transformations, the dissolution or precipitation of minerals and/or neoformed phases (eg. oxy-hydroxides). Added to this are the effects associated with living organisms that, for their development, can integrate metals into their metabolism and be also the cause of strong isotopic fractionations. The development of multi-collector inductively coupled plasma instruments (MC-ICP-MS) has made it possible to accurately and repeatably measure the isotopic composition of trace metals and elements whose (small) variations in isotopic abundance obey the laws of mass dependent fractionation. In addition, few nontraditional elements, such as Hg, have been identified to exhibit specific isotopic fractionation that do not follow such basic rules (i.e. mass independent isotopic fractionation). This Research Topic aimed to promote specific studies on stable and meta-stable isotopes of metals and trace elements that have been recently developed and integrated into environmental sciences and pollution research. Isotopic composition of trace metals OPEN ACCESS