Mario Tuthorn

A novel methodological approach for δ18O analysis of sugars using gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Although the instrumental coupling of gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-Py-IRMS) for compound-specific δ18O analysis has been commercially available for more than a decade, this method has been hardly applied so far. Here we present the first GC-Py-IRMS δ18O results for trimethylsilyl-derivatives of plant sap-relevant sugars and a polyalcohol (glucose, fructose, sucrose, raffinose and pinitol). Particularly, we focus on sucrose, which is assimilated in leaves and which is the most important transport sugar in plants and hence of utmost relevance in plant physiology and paleoclimate studies. Replication measurements of sucrose standards and concentration series indicate that the GC-Py-IRMS δ18O measurements are not stable over time and that they are amount (area) dependent. We, therefore, suggest running sample batch replication measurements in alternation with standard concentration series of reference material. This allows for carrying out (i) a drift correction, (ii) a calibration against reference material and (iii) an amount (area) correction. Tests with 18O-enriched water do not provide any evidence for oxygen isotope exchange reactions affecting sucrose and raffinose. We present the first application of GC-Py-IRMS δ18O analysis for sucrose from needle extract (soluble carbohydrate) samples. The obtained δ18Osucrose/ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) values are more positive and vary in a wider range (32.1–40.1 ‰) than the δ18Obulk/ VSMOW values (24.6–27.2 ‰). Furthermore, they are shown to depend on the climate parameters maximum day temperature, relative air humidity and cloud cover. These findings suggest that δ18Osucrose of the investigated needles very sensitively reflects the climatically controlled evaporative 18O enrichment of leaf water and thus highlights the great potential of GC-Py-IRMS δ18Osucrose analysis for plant physiology and paleoclimate studies.

Sauna, sweat and science – quantifying the proportion of condensation water versus sweat using a stable water isotope (2H/1H and 18O/16O) tracer experiment

Most visitors of a sauna appreciate the heat pulse that is perceived when water is poured on the stones of a sauna stove. However, probably only few bathers are aware that this pleasant heat pulse is caused by latent heat being released onto our skin due to condensation of water vapour. In order to quantify the proportion of condensation water versus sweat to dripping water of test persons we conducted sauna experiments using isotopically labelled (δ18O and δ2H) thrown water as tracer. This allows differentiating between ‘pure sweat’ and ‘condensation water’. Two ways of isotope mass balance calculations were applied and yielded similar results for both water isotopes. Accordingly, condensation contributed considerably to dripping water with mean proportions of 52 ± 12 and 54 ± 7 % in a sauna experiment in winter semester 2011/12 and 30 ± 13 and 33 ± 6 % in a sauna experiment in winter semester 2012/13, respectively, depending on the way of calculating the isotope mass balance. It can be concluded from the results of our dual isotope labelling sauna experiment that it is not all about sweat in the sauna.