Effects of oxygen plasma ashing treatment on carbonate clumped isotopes

Abstract

We recommend that any laboratory performing OPA treatments should reduce the runs to 10-20 min or carry out successive runs of 10 min followed by sample stirring, as this procedure showed no alteration in the initial Δ₄₇ values. Our results validate the use of OPA for clumped isotope applications and will allow future research to use clumped isotopes for challenging samples such as oil-stained carbonates, bituminous shales or host rocks with very high organic carbon content.