Articles | Volume 17, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2169-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2169-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Apr 2020
Research article |
| 20 Apr 2020
| 20 Apr 2020
Understanding the effects of early degradation on isotopic tracers: implications for sediment source attribution using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA)
Pranav Hirave
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Guido L. B. Wiesenberg
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Axel Birkholz
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Christine Alewell
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Sciences,
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Cited
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Evaluating the applicability of the VERHIB model to a 2600-year peat sequence from Central Germany C. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2025.106338
- Relationships between submerged plant productivity and organic carbon burial across Tibetan Plateau lakes during the Holocene H. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109880
- The application and potential non-conservatism of stable isotopes in organic matter source tracing Z. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155946
- Land management policy shift influenced seasonal variation of erosion-induced nitrogen and phosphorus outputs from intensive agricultural catchment Z. Lu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170590
- Tracing organic matter sources in upland lakes of southeastern Amazonia: Insights from a Bayesian mixing model L. Reis et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2025.106464
- Stable isotope ecology of terra preta in Caxiuanã National Forest, Brazil D. Wright et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1172406
- Using iso-scapes to address within-source variability in compound specific stable isotope sediment source apportionments T. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-025-04069-9
- Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of short-chain fatty acids from Pine tissues: characterizing paleo-fire residues and plant exudates M. Jambrina-Enríquez et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01815-3
- Land-use-based freshwater sediment source fingerprinting using hydrogen isotope compositions of long-chain fatty acids P. Hirave et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162638
- Tracing hotspots of soil erosion in high mountain environments: how forensic science based on plant eDNA can lead the way. An opinion A. Frankl et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9
- The Molecular Profile of Soil Microbial Communities Inhabiting a Cambrian Host Rock T. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030513
- Compound-specific isotope analysis with nested sampling approach detects spatial and temporal variability in the sources of suspended sediments in a Scottish mesoscale catchment P. Hirave et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142916
- From roots to residues: Tracing contrasting pathways of carbon incorporation into soil organic matter of a Mediterranean agricultural trial L. San-Emeterio et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110179
- Fingerprinting paleotsunami deposits using sedimentary biomarkers – A succinct review and case study from a paleotsunami record on the Sanriku coastline (Noda, Japan) P. Bellanova et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110188
- River Organic Carbon Fluxes Modulated by Hydrodynamic Sorting of Particulate Organic Matter M. Repasch et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096343
- Isotopic analysis (δ13C and δ2H) of lignin methoxy groups in forest soils to identify and quantify lignin sources T. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175025
- Using stable carbon isotopes of lignin-derived methoxy to improve historical apportionments of particulate organic matter and sediment sources incorporating multiple Suess corrections T. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-024-03765-2
- Source or decomposition of soil organic matter: what is more important with increasing forest age in a subalpine setting? T. Speckert & G. Wiesenberg https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1290922
- Impacts of tracer type, tracer selection, and source dominance on source apportionment with sediment fingerprinting S. Vale et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154832
- Transformation of n-alkanes from plant to soil: a review C. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-785-2021
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Evaluating the applicability of the VERHIB model to a 2600-year peat sequence from Central Germany C. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2025.106338
- Relationships between submerged plant productivity and organic carbon burial across Tibetan Plateau lakes during the Holocene H. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109880
- The application and potential non-conservatism of stable isotopes in organic matter source tracing Z. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155946
- Land management policy shift influenced seasonal variation of erosion-induced nitrogen and phosphorus outputs from intensive agricultural catchment Z. Lu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170590
- Tracing organic matter sources in upland lakes of southeastern Amazonia: Insights from a Bayesian mixing model L. Reis et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2025.106464
- Stable isotope ecology of terra preta in Caxiuanã National Forest, Brazil D. Wright et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1172406
- Using iso-scapes to address within-source variability in compound specific stable isotope sediment source apportionments T. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-025-04069-9
- Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of short-chain fatty acids from Pine tissues: characterizing paleo-fire residues and plant exudates M. Jambrina-Enríquez et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01815-3
- Land-use-based freshwater sediment source fingerprinting using hydrogen isotope compositions of long-chain fatty acids P. Hirave et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162638
- Tracing hotspots of soil erosion in high mountain environments: how forensic science based on plant eDNA can lead the way. An opinion A. Frankl et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9
- The Molecular Profile of Soil Microbial Communities Inhabiting a Cambrian Host Rock T. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030513
- Compound-specific isotope analysis with nested sampling approach detects spatial and temporal variability in the sources of suspended sediments in a Scottish mesoscale catchment P. Hirave et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142916
- From roots to residues: Tracing contrasting pathways of carbon incorporation into soil organic matter of a Mediterranean agricultural trial L. San-Emeterio et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110179
- Fingerprinting paleotsunami deposits using sedimentary biomarkers – A succinct review and case study from a paleotsunami record on the Sanriku coastline (Noda, Japan) P. Bellanova et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110188
- River Organic Carbon Fluxes Modulated by Hydrodynamic Sorting of Particulate Organic Matter M. Repasch et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096343
- Isotopic analysis (δ13C and δ2H) of lignin methoxy groups in forest soils to identify and quantify lignin sources T. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175025
- Using stable carbon isotopes of lignin-derived methoxy to improve historical apportionments of particulate organic matter and sediment sources incorporating multiple Suess corrections T. Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-024-03765-2
- Source or decomposition of soil organic matter: what is more important with increasing forest age in a subalpine setting? T. Speckert & G. Wiesenberg https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1290922
- Impacts of tracer type, tracer selection, and source dominance on source apportionment with sediment fingerprinting S. Vale et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154832
- Transformation of n-alkanes from plant to soil: a review C. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-785-2021
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 18 Oct 2026
Short summary
Sediment input into water bodies is a prominent threat to freshwater ecosystems. We tested the stability of tracers employed in freshwater sediment tracing based on compound-specific isotope analysis during early degradation in soil. While bulk δ13C values showed no stability, δ13C values of plant-derived fatty acids and n-alkanes were stably transferred to the soil without soil particle size dependency after an early degradation in organic horizons, thus indicating their suitability as tracers.
Sediment input into water bodies is a prominent threat to freshwater ecosystems. We tested the...
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