Laboratory Details

Sapienza Laboratory of Stable Isotopes (SLSI)

The Sapienza Stable Isotope Lab (LISS) intends to promote advanced isotopic analysis and applications such as multiple element compound-specific, triple oxygen and clumped analysis for diffent kinds of applications in geosciences, from natural systems, with particular attention to climate studies, sustainable uses of georesources, environmental protection. As a laboratory belonging to a Department of Excellence 2023- 2027 (MIUR), LISS has been able to grow and be funded for state-of-art instruments for CSIA (hydrogen, carbon and chlorine), triple oxygen and clumped isotope analyses. The laboratory's most innovative lines of research are: (1) Triple Oxygen in Silicates – by laser ablation systems we analyze triple oxygen isotopes in silicates, providing insights on isotopic fractionation processes and the origin of oxygen in silicate rocks; (2) tracking gases and pollutants such hydrocarbons, PFAS and chlorinated solvents utilizing Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) to monitor the dispersion and degradation of these substances in the environment; (3) CSIA analysis for biological, chemical and physical remediation methods characterization: laboratory, pilot tests to full remediations. A geochemical approach to study paleoseismogenic environments (pseudotachylites) has been provided by the stable hydrogen investigation of minerals that interacted with internal vs. external fluids in fault zones. In addition to the above, the laboratory offers the possibility to carry out isotope analyses and investigate: a) metabolic trophic chains, in order to explore the interactions between species both within natural and anthropogenic environments; b) isotopic paleoclimatic proxies in different stratigraphic conditions, from paleosols, pedogenic carbonates, paleolacustrine sediments and micro/nanofossils; c) occurrence of fluids in fault zones representative of fluid-rock interaction during tectonic activity at different scale. Within a few months we’ll be able to perform clumped isotope analyses on CO2, either evolved from carbonate or sampled directly as a gas. This section will complement the “carbonate isotope section” of LISS. The equipment can be summarized as: n.3 IRMS, 2 automated lines for carbonate preparation and analyses; n.1 oxygen extraction line for laser fluorination of crystals and/or powders; n. 2 elemental analysers for C, N, S; n. 2 HT-conversion elemental analysesrs fo H and O .