Compound Specific Isotope Analysis

What are Isotopes? What is Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) and how can it help in identifying who is responsible for contamination such as TCE? In this brief video, Dr. Fatemeh Vakili provides an introduction to this topic and how this technical tool can be helpful in site assessments and litigation support. www.dragun.com | www.dragun.ca What are isotopes? Isotopes are different form of the same element that have an equal number of protons but number of neutrons, which means they have different atomic masses and therefore different physical properties. Their chemical properties are the same. For example, hydrogen has three isotopes: Protium - one proton and no neutrons; deuterium which has one proton and one neutron; and Tritium which has one proton and two neutrons. What is Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA)? CSIA measures the isotopic ratios of compounds individually. How can we use CSIA to identify responsible parties for TCE contamination in groundwater? TCE is a manufactured product, its isotopic values vary based on the starting material and there are distinct isotopic signatures. We can use this knowledge to help find the source of TCE.