IAEA-602

• Unit Size: 1.0 g
• Price per Unit: 200 EUR
• Report:  
• Date of Release: 2/1/2004
• Reference Sheet:  
• Contact point: Analytical-Reference-Materials.Contact-Point@iaea.org

International Chemical Safety Card (ICSC): ICSC_0103

The organic reference material is intended for δ¹⁸O oxygen isotopic calibrations by using TCEA technique [1]; the δ¹³C value is given for information purpose only. Use of IAEA-602 for δ¹³C carbon isotopic analysis by combustion technique is not recommended as it is enriched in ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O, so its ¹⁷O/¹⁸O ratio no longer reflects that of natural terrestrial materials [2]. 

(R/I/C) Classification assigned to the property value for analyte (Recommended/Information/Certified)

For δ¹³C, currently two scales exist and are in use: VPDB (Vienna Peedee belemnite) and VPDB-LSVEC (lithium carbonate prepared by H.J. Svec), as acknowledged by experts during the 12th IAEA meeting held in Vienna, 22-26 January 2024 (Camin et al., 2025, RCM, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2025; 39:e10018 1 of 11 https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10018). δ¹³C values reported on the VPDB and VPDB-LSVEC scale can differ, with maximum reported differences (VPDB minus VPDB-LSVEC) of +0.3 ‰ for materials with carbon isotope delta values around –45 ‰ and negligible difference (below current analytical combined uncertainty) at carbon isotope delta values close to zero.

End users should state the values of reference materials used to normalize isotope data following the minimum requirements established by IUPAC[3] and whether they are publishing δ¹³C values on the VPDB scale or the VPDB-LSVEC scale. Users should ensure that in one calibration they only use values for reference materials assigned on one scale.

References:

1. Brand, W.A., et al. (2009) Comprehensive inter-laboratory calibration of reference materials for delta O-18 versus VSMOW using various on-line high-temperature conversion techniques. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2009. 23(7): p. 999-1019. DOI: 10.1002/rcm.3958
2. Coplen, T.B., et al. (2006) New guidelines for delta C-13 measurements. Analytical Chemistry,. 78(7): p. 2439-2441. DOI: 10.1021/ac052027c.
3. SKRZYPEK, G. et al., Minimum requirements for publishing hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur stable-isotope delta results (IUPAC Technical Report), Pure Appl. Chem. (2022) 1.