Isotopes: from theory to practice

This book is an integral translation of Quaderno di laboratorio n.2/2018. It has aims at collecting and summarizing the basic information regarding isotopic analysis, with particular reference to nitrogen ad carbon elements. In order to make it more suitable for readers, some case studies of applications of the isotopic techniques are also reports. Thanks to its easy style, this book address both a general and a specialized audience, included the scientific and the  regulatory. The experience gained by various research projects has allowed ISPRA to acquire the adequate knowledge to provide analytical, interpretative and scientific support in issues related to different environmental matrices and of different geographical origin. This analytical approach, associated with the experience gathered on the application of the models of mixing isotopic (Mixing Models), is able to provide a useful tool for the determination of quali-quantitative pressure and the implementation of these on the impact detected.

In addition to a basic theoretical part, the book presents some case studies on: the assessment of apportionment of nitrate contamination in the surface and groundwater respect to on land pressures; the traceability of agri-food products; the organic substance origin and its characterization; functioning and dynamics of the trophic and bioaccumulation networks of pollutants in coastal and transition marine environments; the traceability of products in the fishing industry; the implementation of the isotopes of the marine strategy framework directive at national scale; the application in the identification of plastic polymers.

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