Isotopes

Isotopes are valuable and important for the determination

• of age (dating)
  
  
• of origin, genesis and development of rock, water, gases, and organic material or elements and compounds, respectively
  
  
• of the renewable carbon proportion
  
  
• of the radioactive charge.

Modern hydrogeology can not be imagined without isotope methods anymore. They provide a very detailed insight into the hydrological cycle. They are also an important tool for the optimisation of water management of aquifers and wells.

Measurements of the contents of environmental isotopes permit the study of hydrological systems in large regional and temporal scales. In particular isotope analyses allow the characterisation and quantification of groundwater components under difficult groundwater flow conditions.

Applied isotope systems in the hydrogeology are:

Origin and authenticitiy of our food determine the quality and price. To verify the authenticity of food and food additives isotope analysis is widely used. Isotope methods are often the only possibility to prove cases of food fraud. They can provide the following information:

• Geographical origin of products
• Verification of illegal or non-declared additives (e.g. water, sugar, acids) or parental material
• Differentiation of naturally or synthetically produced commodity
• Control of organic or conventional growth

Organic pollutants such as HCH and BTEX have a strong impact on groundwater. It is often difficult to find the person or company responsible for the contamination. The determination of the carbon isotope ratios of the organic pollutants allows the assignment of the contamination to the originator as well as a qualitative and quantitative estimation of the biological degradation (natural attenuation).

Isotope methods are important tools to evaluate the genesis of crude gas and oil. They allow the exploration of possible reservoirs near to the surface. The investigation of isotopes from hydrocarbons gains information about the genetic mechanisms of e.g. methane and the maturity of higher hydrocarbons.

In the course of the energy turnaround and the climate protection sustainable resources should replace fossil energy sources. The determination of the radioactive ¹⁴C verifies the amount of the renewable part in a product (e.g. synthetics, biogenic lubricants, oils, etc.). It is also possible to analyse the exhaust fumes from e.g. a biomass heating power plant for its fraction of renewable resources which are used in the combustion.