Stable isotope values of carbon and nitrogen in hair compared to bone collagen from individuals with known medical histories (Bohemia, 19th–21st centuries)

Abstract

AbstractThis study explores the impact of physiological stress on carbon and nitrogen isotopic values in hair and on the isotopic offsets between hair and bone. Isotopic values were measured in hair from 18 individuals who died between 1884 and 2006; isotopic values of bone collagen in ribs and femurs were measured in a previous study.The average nitrogen isotopic offset between average hair and rib value (Δ15Nhair‐rib) was −1.2 ± 0.7‰ and Δ13Chair‐rib was −0.7 ± 0.4‰. Individuals with chronic disease showed more variable hair‐rib isotopic offsets, as well as higher isotopic variation within the isotopic profile, than did those who died suddenly. Relatively low nitrogen offsets were observed in three individuals with bone isotopic values suggesting cachexia. Increases in both carbon and nitrogen isotopic values following worsening health were observed in two individuals with detailed medical histories. Both carbon and nitrogen isotopic values in hair differ between particular families and show a significant relationship to year of death.These results suggest that diet and/or shifts in the isotopic composition of consumed food are the main factors impacting the isotopic values of studied individuals even during the final period of life. On the other hand, evidence of biological stress, which was not observable in bone collagen, was found in the individual hair isotopic records. For hair‐bone isotopic offset, the results suggest the impact of cachexia varying in relation to the timing and progress of the cachectic event.