Sulfur Stable Isotopes
Sulphur stable isotopes.
| Stable isotopes | Terrestrial abundance (%) | Common standards |
| 32S and 34S | 95.00 and 4.22 | CDT (Canyon Diablo Troilite) or relative to SMOW sulfate |
| 33S and 36S | 0.75 and 0.02 | |
| CAUTION: Reported isotopic values for a sample will differ depending on the standard used | ||
Of the four stable isotopes of sulfur, 34S and 32S are the most commonly used isotopes in ratio determinations. The ratio of 34S to 32S in a sample is usually measured relative to that in a standard, and expressed in parts-per-thousand (per mil):
δ34S (‰) = [{(34S/32S sample)/(34S/32S standard)} -1] x 1000
The sulphur in a sample is converted to sulphur dioxide and passed into the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. Bulk sulphur isotope determinations are most common, although it is possible to separate different fractions (native sulphur, pyrite and organic sulphur).
For further information see 'Isotope interpretation'.
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