Isotopic studies of leaf water. Part 1: A physically based two-dimensional model for pine needles

Understanding of isotopic variations in leaf water is important for reconstruction of paleoclimate and assessment of global biochemical processes. We report here a study of isotopic distributions within a single needle of two pine species, Pinus resinosa Ait and Pinus strobes L., with the objective of understanding how isotopic compositions of leaf water are controlled by environmental and physiological variables. A 2D model was developed to simulate along-leaf isotopic variations and bulk leaf water isotopic compositions. In addition to variables common to all leaf water isotopic models, this 2D model also takes into account the specific geometry and dimensions of pine needles and the isotopic transport in xylem and mesophyll. The model can successfully simulate oxygen isotopic variations along a single needle and averaged over a leaf (bulk leaf water). The simulations suggest that isotopic composition of the bulk leaf water does not always depend only upon the average transpiration rate, which in turn raises questions about using leaf water isotopic values to estimate transpiration rates. An unsuccessful attempt to simulate along-needle hydrogen isotopic variations suggests that certain unknown biological process(es) may not have been incorporated into our 2D model, and if so, it calls for a reevaluation of all other models for hydrogen isotopic simulations of leaf water since they too lack these processes.Existing leaf water isotopic models are reviewed in this work. In particular, we evaluate the most frequently used model, the stomatal boundary layer model (also referred to as the Craig-Gordon model). We point out that discrepancy between the boundary layer model and the measured bulk leaf water seems to depend upon relative humidity. Using our 2D model, we show that this humidity dependency is a result of an interplay between environmental and physiological conditions: if the transpiration rate of plant leaves decreases with increasing relative humidity, our 2D model can reproduce the pattern of isotopic discrepancy between boundary layer model predictions and observations, enabling us to understand better the reason behind this discrepancy.     

Pine (Pinus Eldarica Medw.) needles as indicator for heavy metals pollution

In this study, the pine tree (Pinus Eldarica Medw.) needles were evaluated as the biomonitors of heavy metal contamination in Tehran, Iran. The pine needle samples supplied from the old trees according to the main wind direction (highest wind speed) were obtained from each parts of tree and then were homogeneously mixed. The samples were taken from different locations with different degrees of metal pollution (urban, industrial, highway and control sites). Then, the concentrations of lead, zinc, copper, nickel and chromium were measured using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The result of this study showed that the highest and the lowest metal concentrations were found in the heavy traffic sites and the control site, respectively. However, samples taken from highway sites contained the high concentrations of nickel, copper and lead. Moreover, industrial areas were found to have high contents of zinc and chromium. The variation in heavy metal concentrations between the studied locations is due to changes in traffic density and anthropogenic activities. This research proved significant correlations between the heavy metal concentrations in pine needle samples. Finally, it is concluded that Pinus Eldarica Medw. needles can be applied to monitor polluted sites.     

Seasonal variation in kangaroo tooth enamel oxygen and carbon isotopes in southern Australia

Serial sampling of tooth enamel growth increments for carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of Macropus (kangaroo) teeth was performed to assess the potential for reconstructing paleoseasonality. The carbon isotope composition of tooth enamel apatite carbonate reflects the proportional intake of C₃ and C₄ vegetation. The oxygen isotopic composition of enamel reflects that of ingested and metabolic water. Tooth enamel forms sequentially from the tip of the crown to the base, so dietary and environmental changes during the tooth's formation can be detected. δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values were determined for a series of enamel samples drilled from the 3rd and 4th molars of kangaroos that were collected along a 900 km north–south transect in southern Australia. The serial sampling method did not yield pronounced seasonal isotopic variation patterns in Macropus enamel. The full extent of dietary isotopic variation may be obscured by attenuation of the isotopic signal during enamel mineralisation. Brachydont (low-crowned) Macropus teeth may be less sensitive to seasonal variation in isotopic composition due to time-averaging during mineralisation. However, geographic variations observed suggest that there may be potential for tracking latitudinal shifts in vegetation zones and seasonal environmental patterns in response to climate change.     

Occurrence of platinum,palladium and gold in pine needles of Pinus pinea L. from the city of Palermo (Italy)

Preliminary data on the presence of Pt, Pd and Au in airborne particulate matter from the urban area of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) are presented. They were obtained by analysing 40 samples of pine needles (Pinus pinea L.) collected in and around the city. Observed concentrations range from 1 to 102 μg/kg for Pt, 1 to 45 μg/kg for Pd and 22 to 776 μg/kg for Au. Platinum and Pd concentrations in pine needles are up to two orders of magnitude higher than their crustal abundances. They exhibit a high statistical correlation (R²=0.74) which suggests a common origin. Precious metal concentrations measured within the city centre are much higher than those occurring outside the town. The distribution patterns of Pt and Pd in the study area are compared to the distributions of Au and Pb. Gold is enriched at the same sites where Pt and Pd are enriched, while Pb shows some discrepancies. The most probable local source of all of these elements is traffic. Average Pt and Pd emissions in the city area are estimated to be about 136 and 273 g/a, respectively. This study supports the use of pine needles as biomonitors of PGE in the environment.     

应用氢氧同位素研究矿床成因的一些问题探讨

成矿热液的氢、氧同位素组成与其水的类型、水/岩交换的岩石成分和同位素组成、水/岩交换时的温度及水/岩交换程度(W/R比值大小)等诸多因素有关,微生物和有机质也对其有一定的影响。因此,仅通过简单投影的方法将成矿热液的氢、氧同位素值与一些所谓的标准值进行类比,由此就推断出热液中水的来源,这种方法是不可取的;尤其当成矿热液的氢、氧同位素值介于大气降水和岩浆水的值之间时,切忌滥用两种水混合成矿模式,因为实际情况往往并不是这样。本文以胶东乳山金矿床为例,展开了这方面的讨论。     

Hydrogen and oxygen in brine shrimp chitin reflect environmental water and dietary isotopic composition

Hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of the common structural biopolymer chitin are a potential recorder of ecological and environmental information, but our understanding of the mechanisms of incorporation of H and O from environmental substrates into chitin is limited. We report the results of a set of experiments in which the isotopic compositions of environmental water and diet were varied independently in order to assess the contribution of these variables to the H and O isotopic composition of Artemia franciscana chitin. Hydrogen isotope ratios of chitin were strongly linearly correlated with both food and water, with approximately 26% of the hydrogen signal reflecting food and approximately 38% reflecting water. Oxygen isotopes were also strongly correlated with the isotopic composition of water and food, but whereas 69% of oxygen in chitin exchanged with environmental water, only 10% was derived from food. We propose that these observations reflect the position-specific, partial exchange of H and O atoms with brine shrimp body water during the processes of digestion and chitin biosynthesis. Comparison of culture experiments with a set of natural samples collected from the Great Salt Lake, UT in 2006 shows that, with some exceptions, oxygen isotope compositions of chitin track those of water, whereas hydrogen isotopes vary inversely with those of lake water. The different behavior of the two isotopic systems can be explained in terms of a dietary shift from allochthonous particulate matter with relatively higher δ²H values in the early spring to autochthonous particulate matter with significantly lower δ²H values in the late summer to autumn. These results suggest oxygen in chitin may be a valuable proxy for the oxygen isotopic composition of environmental water, whereas hydrogen isotope values from the same molecule may reveal ecological and biogeochemical changes within lakes.     

Antiphase hydrogen and oxygen isotope periodicity in chert nodules

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope analyses were made of Jurassic-age chert nodules from the Holy Cross Mountains, SE Poland, along radial transects at high spatial resolution. There is a radial “sigmoidal” periodicity for both isotope ratios, but the two are out of phase, with high δD values corresponding to low δ¹⁸O values. Periodicity for a 100- to 120-mm diameter nodule is approximately 16 mm, increasing slightly toward the rim, with amplitudes approaching 20 and 3.0‰ for hydrogen and oxygen, respectively. The combined hydrogen-oxygen isotope data for one nodule fall on a published curve for chert forming in equilibrium with seawater (Knauth and Epstein, 1976); the range of delta values corresponds to temperature variations of ∼10°C. Data for a second chert fall on a subparallel δD-δ¹⁸O line with δD values that are almost 50‰ lower. The δD-δ¹⁸O patterns for the nodules cannot be explained by periodic mixing of meteoric and ocean water because the hydrogen and oxygen isotope data are out of phase. Two possible explanations for the antiphase periodicity are (a) cyclical temperature variations, perhaps related to an unstable convection system (e.g., Bolton et al., 1999), and (b) self-organizing catalytic precipitation (e.g., Wang and Merino, 1990). The systematic isotopic variations are difficult to explain by diagenesis and strongly suggest that primary isotopic compositions are preserved. The isotopic data provide important information on the thermal history of the sedimentary basin, if temperature variations are the cause of the isotopic periodicity.     

Fractionation of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of gypsum hydration water and assessment of its geochemical indications

Fundamental knowledge of the isotopic fractionation between the hydration water and the mother solution and whether the primary information recorded in hydration water can be preserved or not in deposits or mines have long been unclear. In order to calculate the accurate hydrogen and oxygen isotopic fractionation factors between gypsum hydration water and its mother solution with new methods, to understand the mechanism of fractionation and synthetically assess the record-keeping abilities of the isotopic composition of hydration water during the process of diagenesis after deposition, experiments on the hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of gypsum hydration water and its mother solution at different isothermal temperatures from 5 to 50°C were systematically conducted. In addition, samples from two typical gypsum deposits formed in different environmental conditions were also determined. Results show that during gypsum crystallisation, both hydrogen and oxygen isotopes show significant fractionation between the hydration water and the mother solution. The calculated hydrogen isotopic fractionation factors are <1, while the oxygen isotopic fractionation factors are >1 at temperatures from 5 to 50°C. The fractionation factors show no functional relationships with temperature. Isotopic compositions of gypsum hydration water in arid lake sediments can be used to trace the source of water and primary deposit environmental information. However, the isotopic composition of the gypsum hydration water can easily be altered by dissolution and secondary precipitation of gypsum during later diagenesis, particularly in areas with humid climate and abundant groundwater. A very careful assessment on record-keeping abilities of the primary isotopic composition of hydration water in gypsum during later diagenesis must be considered before application.     

Pinus brutia as a biogeochemical medium to detect iron and zinc in soil analysis, chromite deposits of the area Mersin, Turkey

Soil and pine (Pinus brutia) samples were collected from 64 sites over chromite and ultramafic rocks near Musal?, and over clastic sediments of the Silifke-Anamur areas of Mersin, Turkey. Both sample media were analyzed for their Zn and Fe contents. The results showed similar concentration of both elements in the ash of needles and twigs, with each exhibiting lower concentration than the soils. Zinc was more concentrated in pines from the Silifke-Anamur area than at Musal?, but Fe concentrations were similar in both area. A positive correlation was observed between Zn and Fe in pine and soils (r=0.90 and 0.79, respectively). It is concluded that P. brutia can be used as a biogeochemical sample medium to detect concealed deposits of Zn and Fe.     

Significant seasonal variation in the hydrogen isotopic composition of leaf-wax lipids for two deciduous tree ecosystems (Fagus sylvativa and Acerpseudoplatanus)

Compound specific hydrogen isotope ratios (δD) of long chain sedimentary n-alkanes, which mostly originate from the leaf waxes of higher terrestrial plants, are increasingly employed as paleoclimate proxies. While soil water is the ultimate hydrogen source for these lipids and the isotopic fractionation during biosynthesis of lipids is thought to remain constant, environmental parameters and plant physiological processes can alter the apparent hydrogen isotopic fractionation between leaf-wax lipids and a plant’s source water. However, the magnitude and timing of these effects and their influence on the isotopic composition of lipids from higher terrestrial plants are still not well understood. Therefore we investigated the seasonal variability of leaf-wax n-alkane δD values for two different temperate deciduous forest ecosystems that are dominated by two different tree species, Beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Maple (Acerpseudoplatanus).We found significant seasonal variations for both tree species in n-alkane δD values of up to 40‰ on timescales as short as one week. Also, the isotopic difference between different n-alkanes from the same plant species did vary significantly and reached up to 50‰ at the same time when overall n-alkane concentrations were lowest.Since δD values of soil water at 5 and 10 cm depth, which we assume represent the δD value of the major water source for the investigated beech trees, were enriched in autumn compared to the spring by 30‰, whereas n-alkane δD values increased only by 10‰, we observed variations in the apparent fractionation between beech leaf derived n-alkanes and soil water of up to 20‰ on a seasonal scale. This observed change in the apparent fractionation was likely caused by differences in leaf water isotopic enrichment. Based on mechanistic leaf water models we conclude that changes in the isotopic difference between water vapor and soil water were the most likely reason for the observed changes in the apparent fractionation between n-alkanes and soil water.The large variability of n-alkane concentrations and δD values over time implies a continuous de novo synthesis of these compounds over the growing season with turnover times possibly as short as weeks. The signal to reach the soil therefore represents an integrated record of the last weeks before leaf senescence. This holds true also for the sedimentary record of small catchment lakes in humid, temperate climates, where wind transport of leaf-wax lipids is negligible compared to transfer through soil and the massive input of leaves directly into the lake in autumn.     

四川鲜水河-安宁河断裂带温泉氢氧稳定同位素特征

温泉地下水同位素特征对确定断裂带地下水来源、循环过程和断裂带活动性至关重要。为了确定青藏高原东缘温泉的地下水同位素特征和流体来源本研究采集了鲜水河-安宁河断裂带上温泉水、冷泉水、河流和积雪融水等样品,进行了氢氧稳定同位素和水化学组分测定,并进行了同位素特征的对比研究。分析结果表明,温泉水体δ¹⁸O变化范围为-19.04%~-12.71‰,平均值为-16.42‰;δ²H变化范围为-144.07‰~-88.63‰,平均值为-122.37‰。河水的δ¹⁸O变化范围为-15.90‰~-10.85‰,平均值为-13.86‰;δ²H变化范围为-118.21‰~-71.12‰,平均值为-98.99‰。康定冷泉δ¹⁸O和δ²H分别为-13.66‰和-106.74‰。道孚积雪融水的δ¹⁸O和δ²H分别为-10.27‰和-65.41‰。不同类型水体样品氢氧稳定同位素组成主要分布在全球和区域大气降水线上表明了大气降水成因,缺少明显的氧同位素漂移特征。不同类型水体同位素值差异较大显示出温泉与河水、积雪融水之间补给来源的不一致性。温泉同位素值具有明显的同位素高程效应,鲜水河-安宁河断裂带上氧同位素高程效应为-0.23‰/100m,氢同位素高程效应为-1.95‰/100m。温泉氧同位素漂移与相关离子比值、Na-K-Mg三角图、Li和Sr元素等指标表明研究区域大部分温泉的水岩作用强度弱。氢氧稳定同位素特征、水岩作用特征和循环深度揭示出温泉的成因为远距离大气降水运移补给地下水,地下水在地下热储层加热后通过断裂上升到地表形成温泉,这为认识青藏高原东缘地热水循环、断裂带活动性与演化特征提供了依据。     

The use of environmental markers to identify groundwater salinization sources in a Neogene basin, Kert aquifer case, NE Morocco

Environmental isotopes data of oxygen and hydrogen of natural water and sulphur and oxygen of dissolved sulphate as well as characteristics of d-excess are used to illustrate the salinity origin in Kert aquifer NE Morocco. In this study, 14 groundwater samples and surface water of the Kert River were collected in the Kert plain during December 2008, and were combined with previously collected hydrochemical data. The isotope compositions of these waters range from ?5.74 to ?4.51 ‰ for oxygen and from ?40.8 to ?34.1 ‰ for hydrogen. In Kert River these values are ?6.47 ‰ for oxygen and ?47.56 ‰ for hydrogen. All the samples with a slope <8 do not fall on the meteoric water line indicating a light evaporation. Water has low and different d-excess values (ranging from +1.37 to +9.82 ‰), reflecting different climatic conditions. Based on the nitrate concentration water in the Kert aquifer comes from the modern precipitation. The isotope compositions range from ?2.2 to +16 ‰ for sulphur and from +5.02 to +13.86 ‰ for oxygen. In Kert River these values are ?4.6 and +5.3 ‰ for sulphur and oxygen, respectively. There are fairly constant difference between oxygen of water and the oxygen of sulphate suggesting a dominant control of this latter in sulphate sources. At least three major sulphate sources were identified by the isotope data from sulphate in these waters: (1) dissolved marine sulphate from the underlying upper Miocene unit; (2) dissolved sulphate from Kert River; (3) sulphate derived from oxidation of sulphur compounds in the metamorphic massif of Temsamane. The latter has a dilution role. The isotopic variations of these waters and sulphate concentration therein reflect mixing of these sources in the aquifer.     

The relationship between phytolith- and plant-water δO values in grasses

Information regarding climatic conditions during plant growth is preserved by the oxygen-isotope composition of biogenic silica (phytoliths) deposited in grasses. The O-isotope compositions of phytoliths and the plant water from which they precipitate are dependent on soil-water δ¹⁸O values, relative humidity, evapotranspiration rates, and temperature. Plant water and phytoliths from two grass species, Ammophila breviligulata (C₃) and Calamovilfa longifolia (C₄) at Pinery Provincial Park in southwestern Ontario, Canada, were examined to determine the variability in their δ¹⁸O values. Stem water was unfractionated from soil-water in oxygen isotopic composition and the δ¹⁸O values of stem silica provide a good proxy for the soil water available to roots during the growing season. Greater spatial and temporal variation in the δ¹⁸O values of water in the top 5 cm of the soil, and their enhanced sensitivity to evaporative ¹⁸O enrichment, are reflected in the generally higher δ¹⁸O values of water in the shallow roots and rhizomes of these grasses. Water within the sheath and lower and upper leaf tissues experiences continual evaporation, becoming progressively enriched in ¹⁸O as it moves towards the tip of the leaf. However, the water from which leaf silica precipitates has not acquired the extreme ¹⁸O enrichment predicted using steady-state models, or measured for midday or average daily leaf water. Possible explanations for this behaviour include preferential deposition of silica at night; the existence of a secluded water fraction within the leaf, which experiences smaller diurnal variations in isotopic composition than leaf water at sites of evaporation; kinetic isotope effects during rapid precipitation of leaf silica; and incomplete exchange between the oxygen in the silicic acid and the leaf water.     

地热水氢氧同位素控制因素识别与定量计算:以青海贵德盆地为例

氢氧同位素在地热水研究中得到了广泛应用,但由于影响因素较多,对地热水氢氧同位素组成的控制过程通常缺少全面认识.本文以贵德盆地周边两条断裂带上五处温泉为例,通过对比不同地热水之间的水化学差异和热储温度差异,建立了不同地热水的水岩反应程度与氢氧同位素是否偏离大气降水线的关系.在前人识别并定量出扎仓寺地热水存在冷水混合作用的...     

乌鲁木齐河流域不同水体中的氧稳定同位素

采用乌鲁木齐河流域历年采集的降水、表层粒雪、冰川融水和河川径流等水样资料,分析了取样期间不同水样中氧稳定同位素的变化,揭示了降水中氧稳定同位素变化存在着明显的温度效应,而温度效应又与海拔高度有关;表层粒雪和冰川融水中氧稳定同位素则无明显的高度效应;冰川融水中的氧稳定同位素比率小于河川径流中的氧稳定同位素比率。评估了不同影响因子对水循环过程中稳定同位素变化的影响及相互作用,为稳定同位素技术在水循环研究中的应用提供了实例。     

Br/Cl ratios and O, H, C, and B isotopic constraints on the origin of saline waters from eastern Canada

Saline groundwaters were recovered from undisturbed (Restigouche deposit) and active (Brunswick #12 mine) Zn-Pb volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in the Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC), northern New Brunswick, Canada. These groundwaters, along with fresh to brackish meteoric ground and surface waters from the BMC, have been analyzed to determine their major, trace element and stable isotopic (O, H, C, and B) compositions. Saline groundwaters (total dissolved solids = 22-45 g/L) are characterized by relatively high Na/Ca ratios compared to brines from the Canadian Shield and low Na/Cl_molar and δ¹¹B isotopic compositions (−2.5‰ to 11.1‰) compared to seawater. Although saline waters from the Canadian Shield commonly have oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions that plot to the left of the global meteoric water line, those from the BMC fall close to the water line. Fracture and vein carbonate minerals at the Restigouche deposit have restricted carbon isotopic compositions of around −5‰ to −6‰. The carbon isotopic compositions of the saline waters at the Restigouche deposit (+12‰ δ¹³C_DIC) are the result of fractionation of dissolved inorganic carbon by methanogenesis. We suggest that, unlike previous models for shield brines, the composition of saline waters in the BMC is best explained by prolonged water-rock reaction, with no requirement of precursor seawater. We suggest that elevated Br/Cl ratios of saline waters compared to seawater may be explained by differential uptake of Br and Cl during groundwater evolution through water-rock reaction.     

树轮氢、氧同位素研究进展

总结了树轮氢氧同位素的分馏原理及其时间序列和空间变化与气候变迁之间的关系。研究表明,树轮氢氧同位素组成的变异反映了源水同位素组成、温度、相对湿度和降水量的变化。同时,对今后树轮同位素的发展方向作了展望。     

Hydrogen isotope fractionation in lipids of the methane-oxidizing bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus

Hydrogen isotopic compositions of individual lipids from Methylococcus capsulatus, an aerobic, methane-oxidizing bacterium, were analyzed by hydrogen isotope-ratio-monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The purposes of the study were to measure isotopic fractionation factors between methane, water, and lipids and to examine the biochemical processes that determine the hydrogen isotopic composition of lipids. M. capsulatus was grown in six replicate cultures in which the δD values of methane and water were varied independently. Measurement of concomitant changes in δD values of lipids allowed estimation of the proportion of hydrogen derived from each source and the isotopic fractionation associated with the utilization of each source.All lipids examined, including fatty acids, sterols, and hopanols, derived 31.4 ± 1.7% of their hydrogen from methane. This was apparently true whether the cultures were harvested during exponential or stationary phase. Examination of the relevant biochemical pathways indicates that no hydrogen is transferred directly (with C-H bonds intact) from methane to lipids. Accordingly, we hypothesize that all methane H is oxidized to H₂O, which then serves as the H source for all biosynthesis, and that a balance between diffusion of oxygen and water across cell membranes controls the concentration of methane-derived H₂O at 31%. Values for α_l/w, the isotopic fractionation between lipids and water, were 0.95 for fatty acids and 0.85 for isoprenoid lipids. These fractionations are significantly smaller than those measured in higher plants and algae. Values for α_l/m, the isotopic fractionation between lipids and methane, were 0.94 for fatty acids and 0.79 for isoprenoid lipids. Based on these results, we predict that methanotrophs living in seawater and consuming methane with typical δD values will produce fatty acids with δD between −50 and −170‰, and sterols and hopanols with δD between −150 and −270‰.     

树轮中不同有机组分的可迁移性:碳同位素限定

逐轮剥离所取中国红松(Pinuskoraiensis)树盘中最近34a(1958—1991年)的年轮,粉碎后皂化分离出正己烷可溶部分、二氯甲烷可溶部分(沥青质)、不可皂化部分和纤维素,分别测定这四种物质的稳定碳同位素组成(δ13C)。虽然最近18~21a期间,前两种物质的碳同位素组成年际变化明显,但与后两种物质的碳同位素组成的正相关均没有达到显著性水平。而18~21a之前所形成树轮的前两种物质的碳同位素组成在碳同位素分析总精度范围内(±0.1‰)不呈现年际变化;与之相反,不可皂化部分和纤维素的碳同位素组成具有明显的年际变化并且在任何阶段均呈现高度显著正相关(如r=0.978,n=34,p<0.001)。这表明可皂化类脂在树轮间是可迁移的,至少经过18~21a的不同年形成的类脂的混合,其碳同位素组成逐步均一化。因此,树轮可皂化类脂的碳同位素组成(恐怕也包括氢、氧同位素组成)不能用来解译过去气候变化,全木因为含有可皂化类脂也不宜作为稳定同位素分析的目标物质。     

Ultrafiltration by a compacted clay membrane—I. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic fractionation

Laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the magnitude of the isotopic fractionation of distilled water and of 0.01 N NaCl forced to flow at ambient temperature under a hydraulic pressure drop of 100 bars across a montmorillonite disc compacted to a porosity of 35 per cent by a pressure of 330 bars. The ultrafiltrates in both experiments were depleted in D by 2.5%. and in O¹⁸ by 0.8%. relative to the residual solution. No additional isotopic fractionation due to a salt filtering mechanism was observed at NaCl concentrations up to 0.01 N. Adsorption is most likely the principal mechanism which produces isotopic fractionation, but molecular diffusion may play a minor role.The results suggest that oxygen and hydrogen isotopic fractionation of ground water during passage through compacted clayey sediments should be a common occurrence, in accord with published interpretations of isotopic data from the Illinois and Alberta basins.