Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Zinc Isotopes

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Geochemistry

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Introduction and Definitions

Zinc is comprised of five natural stable isotopes, 64Zn(48.6%), 66Zn (27.9%), 67Zn (4.1%), 68Zn (18.8%), and 70Zn (0.6%). Due to its relatively high first ionization potential (9.4 eV), the measurement of Zn isotope ratios is very difficult by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). This explains the very limited Zn isotope data produced before the advent of multi-collection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Since the first commercialized MC-ICP-MS in the late 1990s and the first high precision Zn isotope ratio measurements (Maréchal et al. 1999), more than 1000 papers have been published (source ISI Web of Science) on various geochemistry topics associated with Zn isotopes (e.g., oceanography, cosmochemistry, environmental sciences, medical sciences). Generally, the isotopic data are acquired by MC-ICP-MS by either standard bracketing (e.g., Maréchal et al. 1999; Weiss et al. 2005; Viers et al. 2007; Balistrieri et al. 2008)...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 699.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Albarede F (2009) Volatile accretion history of the terrestrial planets and dynamic implications. Nature 461:1227–1233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albarede F (2015) Metal stable isotopes in the human body: a tribute of geochemistry to medicine. Elements 11:265–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen MB, Vance D, Archer C, Anderson RF, Ellwood MJ, Allen CS (2011) The Zn abundance and isotopic composition of diatom frustules, a proxy for Zn availability in ocean surface seawater. Earth Planet Sci Lett 301:137–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold T, Schonbachler M, Rehkamper M, Dong SF, Zhao FJ, Kirk GJD, Coles BJ, Weiss DJ (2010) Measurement of zinc stable isotope ratios in biogeochemical matrices by double-spike MC-ICPMS and determination of the isotope ratio pool available for plants from soil. Anal Bioanal Chem 398:3115–3125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aucourt AM, Pichat S, Macnair MR, Oger P (2011) Fractionation of stable zinc isotopes in the zinc hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri and nonaccumulator Arabidopsis petraea. Environ Sci Technol 45:9212–9217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balistrieri LS, Borrok DM, Wanty RB, Ridley WI (2008) Fractionation of Cu and Zn isotopes during adsorption onto amorphous Fe(III) oxyhydroxide: experimental mixing of acid rock drainage and ambient river water. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 72:311–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balter V, Zazzo A, Moloney AP, Moynier F, Schmidt O, Monahan FJ, Albarede F (2010) Bodily variability of zinc natural isotope abundances in sheep. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 24:605–612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balter V, Lamboux A, Zazzo A, Telouk P, Leverrier Y, Marvel J, Moloney AP, Monahan FJ, Schmidt O, Albarede F (2013) Contrasting Cu, Fe, and Zn isotopic patterns in organs and body fluids of mice and sheep, with emphasis on cellular fractionation. Metallomics 5:1470–1482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bermin J, Vance D, Archer C, Statham PJ (2006) The determination of the isotopic composition of Cu and Zn in seawater. Chem Geol 226:280–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigalke M, Weyer S, Kobza J, Wilcke W (2010) Stable Cu and Zn isotope ratios as tracers of sources and transport of Cu and Zn in contaminated soil. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 74:6801–6813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Savage P, Teng FZ, Helz RT, Moynier F (2013) zinc isotope fractionation during magmatic differentiation and the isotopic composition of the bulk Earth. Earth Planet Sci Lett 369–370:34–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day JM, Moynier F (2014) Evaporative fractionation of volatile stable isotopes and their bearing on the origin of the Moon. Philos Transact A Math Phys Eng Sci 372:20130259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujii T, Albarede F (2012) Ab initio calculation of the Zn isotope effect in phosphates, citrates, and malates and applications to plants and soil. PLoS One 7:e30726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujii T, Moynier F, Pons ML, Albarede F (2011) The origin of Zn isotope fractionation in sulfides. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 75:7632–7643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujii T, Moynier F, Blichert-Toft J, Albarede F (2014) Density functional theory estimation of isotope fractionation of Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn among species relevant to geochemical and biological environments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 140:553–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelabert A, Pokrovsky OS, Viers J, Schott J, Boudou A, Feurtet-Mazel A (2006) Interaction between zinc and freshwater and marine diatom species: surface complexation and Zn isotope fractionation. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 70:839–857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog GF, Moynier F, Albarede F, Berezhnoy AA (2009) Isotopic and elemental abundances of copper and zinc in lunar samples, Zagami, Pele’s hairs, and a terrestrial basalt. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 73:5884–5904

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John SG, Geis R, Saito M, Boyle EA (2007) Zn isotope fractionation during high-affinity zinc transport by the marine diatom Thalassiosira oceanica. Limnol Oceanogr 52:2710–2714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jouvin D, Louvat P, Juillot F, Marechal CN, Benedetti MF (2009) Zinc isotopic fractionation: why organic matters. Environ Sci Technol 43:5747–5754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kato C, Moynier F, Valdes MC, Dhaliwal JK, Day JM (2015) Extensive volatile loss during formation and differentiation of the Moon. Nat Commun 6:7617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Roux V, Lee CT, Turner SJ (2011) Zn/Fe systematics in mafic and ultramafic systems: implications for detecting major element heterogeneities in the Earth’s mantle. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 74:2779–2796

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little SH, Vance D, Walker-Brown C, Landing WM (2014) The oceanic mass balance of copper and zinc isotopes, investigated by analysis of their inputs, and outputs to ferromanganese oxide sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 125:673–693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lodders K (2003) Solar system abundances and condensation temperatures of the elements. Astrophys J 591:1220–1247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luck JM, Othman DB, Albarede F (2005) Zn and Cu isotopic variations in chondrites and iron meteorites: early solar nebula reservoirs and parent-body processes. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 69:5351–5363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maréchal C, Télouk P, Albarède F (1999) Precise analysis of copper and zinc isotopic compositions by plasma-source mass spectrometry. Chem Geol 156:251–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misra S, Froelich PN (2012) Lithium isotope history of Cenozoic seawater: changes in silicate weathering and reverse weathering. Science 335:818–823

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Albarede F, Herzog G (2006) Isotopic composition of zinc, copper, and iron in lunar samples. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 70:6103–6117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Beck P, Jourdan F, Yin Q-Z, Reimold U, Koeberl C (2009a) Isotopic fractionation of zinc in tektites. Earth Planet Sci Lett 277:482–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Dauphas N, Podosek FA (2009b) A search for 70Zn anomalies in meteorites. Astrophys J 700:L92–L95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Pichat S, Pons ML, Fike D, Balter V, Albarede F (2009c) Isotopic fractionation and transport mechanisms of Zn in plants. Chem Geol 267:125–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Beck P, Yin QZ, Ferroir T, Barrat JA, Paniello R, Telouk P, Gillet P (2010) Volatilization induced by impacts recorded in Zn isotope composition of ureilites. Chem Geol 276:374–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Paniello RC, Gounelle M, Albarede F, Beck P, Podosek F, Zanda B (2011) Nature of volatile depletion and genetic relationships in enstatite chondrites and aubrites inferred from Zn isotopes. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 75:297–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynier F, Fujii T, Shaw A, Le Borgne M (2013) Heterogeneous distribution of natural zinc isotopes in mice. Metallomics 5:693–699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paniello RC, Day JM, Moynier F (2012) Zinc isotopic evidence for the origin of the Moon. Nature 490:376–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris G, Gaillardet J, Louvat P (2010) Geological evolution of seawater boron isotopic composition recorded in evaporites. Geology 38:1035–1038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pichat S, Douchet C, Albarede F (2003) Zinc isotope variations in deep-sea carbonates from the eastern equatorial Pacific over the last 175 ka. Earth Planet Sci Lett 210:167–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pons ML, Quitte G, Fujii T, Rosing MT, Reynard B, Moynier F, Douchet C, Albarede F (2011) Early Archean serpentine mud volcanoes at Isua, Greenland, as a niche for early life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108:17639–17643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viers J, Oliva P, Nonelle A, Gelabert A, Sonke J, Freydier R, Gainville R, Dupre B (2007) Evidence of Zn isotopic frationation in a soil-plant system of a pristine tropical watershed (Nsimi, Cameroon). Chem Geol 239:124–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss DJ, Mason TFD, Zhao FJ, Kirk GJD, Coles BJ, Horstwood MSA (2005) Isotopic discrimination of zinc in higher plants. New Phytol 165:703–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Vance D, Abouchami W, de Baar HJW (2014) Biogeochemical cycling of zinc and its isotopes in the Southern Ocean. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 125:653–672

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France

    Frédéric Moynier

  2. Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France

    Frédéric Moynier

Authors
  1. Frédéric Moynier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frédéric Moynier .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    William M. White

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Moynier, F. (2018). Zinc Isotopes. In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_215

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation