Fast high-precision on-line determination of hydrogen isotope ratios of water or ice by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

A new fast high-precision on-line technique is described for the determination of hydrogen isotope ratios of water by continuous-flow mass spectrometry. For the first time H(2)/H(2)O-equilibration using a platinum catalyst has been used in a fully continuous process. A significant reduction in the H(2)/H(2)O-equilibration time is achieved by a complete vaporization of the water and by increasing the exchange temperature to 100 degrees C. The analysis time is only approximately 5 min/sample which includes equilibration and processing. Measurement precision and accuracy are better than 1 per thousand and sample consumption is only approximately 5 microL. This new technique allows the measurement of a wide range of aqueous samples either in a semi-continuous way (discrete samples are injected one after another) or in a fully continuous way. This allows us, for the first time, to make continuous measurements of ice cores.