Abstract
Boron isotopes in teeth has been a new proxy for dietary reconstructions and its resistance to diagenetic alteration. In this study a method using inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the measurement of boron isotope ratio in human dental enamel has been developed. Human dental enamel were digested with HNO3-H2O2 in a microwave system. Boron in solution was separated from the matrix components using Amberlite IRA-743 resin. The factors that may affect precision and accuracy in isotope ratio determination by ICP-MS, including memory effects, mass bias drift, and concentration effects, were investigated to obtain optimum conditions. Then, the 10B/11B ratios in teeth were measured. The results showed that 2% of HNO3 + 2% of NH3•H2O, selected as the diluent/rinse solution could be effective in the elimination of boron memory effect. There was no concentration effect on boron isotope ratios when the ratio of samples B concentration to standard B concentration (refers to Csample/Cstd) varied from 0.5 to 2. The result of 10B/11B ratios in tooth enamel by sex and age fluctuated over a broad range, ranged from 0.2007 to 0.2574. This method is expected to be used for boron isotope ratio analyses in archeometry, forensic identification, paleoecology, and other disciplines in the future.
Highlights
Human teeth are valuable archives of the life history and behaviour of vertebrates
The objective of this work was to investigate the possibility of using inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the determination of boron isotope ratios (10B/11B) in tooth enamel after pre-treatment
The results show that 2% HNO3 + 2% NH3H2O and 2% HNO3 + 2% mannitol exhibit similar and significant memory effects
Summary
Human teeth are valuable archives of the life history and behaviour of vertebrates. The bioapatite of the skeletal remains records in its element and isotope composition information about the diet, physiology and mobility as well as climate and environmental conditions. If this geochemical information is not biased by chemical alteration during fossilisation, it can provide valuable insights into the palaeobiology, palaeoecology, and evolution of extinct vertebrates.[1,2,3]. Boron is shown to be an essential element for plants early this century and there is evidence that it is necessary for humans. It is surprising that boron was found in teeth in the range as high as 25-85 ppm.
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