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Strontium isotope ratios of human hair record intra-city variations in tap water source
The oxygen ( O/ O) isotope analysis of hair is commonly applied to reconstruct an individual's residence history. However, region-of-origin as determined from oxygen isotope values (δ O) alone is often spatially indistinct. Adding additional geochemical recorders can refine region-of-origin est...
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Published in: | Scientific reports 2018-02, Vol.8 (1), p.3334-10, Article 3334 |
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Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The oxygen (
O/
O) isotope analysis of hair is commonly applied to reconstruct an individual's residence history. However, region-of-origin as determined from oxygen isotope values (δ
O) alone is often spatially indistinct. Adding additional geochemical recorders can refine region-of-origin estimates. In this capacity, strontium (
Sr/
Sr) isotope analysis has attracted increased interest. While
Sr/
Sr reflects the influences of local geology,
Sr/
Sr of hair includes both external environmental signals as well as the internal dietary indicators. To better understand the impact of these contributions to the spatial signal encoded within
Sr/
Sr of hair, human hair was collected from three locations within Salt Lake City, Utah along with the donor's sex. The
Sr/
Sr and δ
O of hair and local tap water were measured. There were no significant relationships between sex and either δ
O or
Sr/
Sr of hair, nor between collection location and the δ
O of hair. However, we found significant associations between collection location and
Sr/
Sr of hair. These findings suggest that interactions with local water may be an important source of Sr to human hair and that the
Sr/
Sr of hair may have the capacity to record differences in
Sr/
Sr of tap waters on small spatial scales. |
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ISSN: | 2045-2322 2045-2322 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-018-21359-0 |