Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation

Autores: Hatté, Christine; Ejaz, Mukkaram; Gauthier, Caroline; Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian; Moretti, Lucas Martin; Morras, Hector; Nadeau, Marie-Josée; Pawełczyk, Sławomira; Piotrowska, Natalia; Thil, François; Tifafi, Marwa; Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine; Ustrzycka, Alicja
Año de publicación: 2026
Idioma: inglés
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado: versión publicada
Descripción: Advances in analytical techniques now allow isotope and geochemical measurements on ever smaller samples, opening new fields of application in environmental studies. Yet, in heterogeneous solid matrices commonly encountered in environmental systems (e.g. soils, sediments, particulate materials in water and air), this approach raises a critical issue: do tiny aliquots still represent the original sample, or do they provide a partial and potentially misleading signal? To address this question, we combine statistical simulations with empirical data. Using a soil simulated 14C distribution and 14C measurements on an Argentinian Acrisol, we show that single measurements on small aliquots (∼100 μg C) often fail to reproduce the mean signal of the parent sample. Replication improves representativeness, but the number of replicates required depends on the degree of heterogeneity and must be determined case by case. Similar patterns are observed for δ13C, where variability between replicates exceeds analytical error. Although our examples focus on 14C and δ13C, the underlying reasoning applies broadly to isotope-based approaches used to interpret environmental processes, including biogeochemical cycling, environmental monitoring, and assessments of environmental change. In the context of environmental microsampling, analytical precision is no longer the main limitation; ensuring representativeness through an appropriate replication strategy has become essential for robust environmental interpretation.
EEA Cerro Azul
Fil: Hatté, Christine. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fil: Hatté, Christine. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia
Fil: Ejaz, Mukkaram. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fil: Gauthier, Caroline. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia
Fil: Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fil: Moretti, Lucas Martín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cerro Azul; Argentina
Fil: Morras, Héctor. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; Argentina
Fil: Morras, Héctor. Universidad del Salvador. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias; Argentina
Fil: Nadeau, Marie-Josée. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fil: Nadeau, Marie-Josée. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. National Laboratory for Age Determination; Noruega
Fil: Pawełczyk, Sławomira. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fil: Piotrowska, Natalia. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fil: Thil, François. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia
Fil: Tifafi, Marwa. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia
Fil: Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia
Fil: Ustrzycka, Alicja. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
Fuente: Science of The Total Environment 1029 : 181712. (May 2026)
Materia: Medio Ambiente
Vigilancia Ambiental
Análisis Isotópico
Técnicas Analíticas
Carbono-14
Environment
Environmental Monitoring
Isotope Analysis
Analytical Methods
Carbon 14
Nivel de accesibilidad: acceso restringido
Condiciones de uso: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
Institución: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador: oai:localhost:20.500.12123/25692

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spelling	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretationHatté, ChristineEjaz, MukkaramGauthier, CarolineJedrzejowski, MaksymilianMoretti, Lucas MartinMorras, HectorNadeau, Marie-JoséePawełczyk, SławomiraPiotrowska, NataliaThil, FrançoisTifafi, MarwaTisnérat-Laborde, NadineUstrzycka, AlicjaMedio AmbienteVigilancia AmbientalAnálisis IsotópicoTécnicas AnalíticasCarbono-14EnvironmentEnvironmental MonitoringIsotope AnalysisAnalytical MethodsCarbon 14Advances in analytical techniques now allow isotope and geochemical measurements on ever smaller samples, opening new fields of application in environmental studies. Yet, in heterogeneous solid matrices commonly encountered in environmental systems (e.g. soils, sediments, particulate materials in water and air), this approach raises a critical issue: do tiny aliquots still represent the original sample, or do they provide a partial and potentially misleading signal? To address this question, we combine statistical simulations with empirical data. Using a soil simulated 14C distribution and 14C measurements on an Argentinian Acrisol, we show that single measurements on small aliquots (∼100 μg C) often fail to reproduce the mean signal of the parent sample. Replication improves representativeness, but the number of replicates required depends on the degree of heterogeneity and must be determined case by case. Similar patterns are observed for δ13C, where variability between replicates exceeds analytical error. Although our examples focus on 14C and δ13C, the underlying reasoning applies broadly to isotope-based approaches used to interpret environmental processes, including biogeochemical cycling, environmental monitoring, and assessments of environmental change. In the context of environmental microsampling, analytical precision is no longer the main limitation; ensuring representativeness through an appropriate replication strategy has become essential for robust environmental interpretation.EEA Cerro AzulFil: Hatté, Christine. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaFil: Hatté, Christine. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; FranciaFil: Ejaz, Mukkaram. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaFil: Gauthier, Caroline. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; FranciaFil: Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaFil: Moretti, Lucas Martín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cerro Azul; ArgentinaFil: Morras, Héctor. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; ArgentinaFil: Morras, Héctor. Universidad del Salvador. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Nadeau, Marie-Josée. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaFil: Nadeau, Marie-Josée. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. National Laboratory for Age Determination; NoruegaFil: Pawełczyk, Sławomira. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaFil: Piotrowska, Natalia. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaFil: Thil, François. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; FranciaFil: Tifafi, Marwa. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; FranciaFil: Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; FranciaFil: Ustrzycka, Alicja. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; PoloniaElsevier2026-04-07T12:18:04Z2026-04-07T12:18:04Z2026-05info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25692https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S00489697260037610048-96971879-1026https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181712Science of The Total Environment 1029 : 181712. (May 2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-05-07T11:53:14Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/25692instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-05-07 11:53:15.17INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
title	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
spellingShingle	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation Hatté, Christine Medio Ambiente Vigilancia Ambiental Análisis Isotópico Técnicas Analíticas Carbono-14 Environment Environmental Monitoring Isotope Analysis Analytical Methods Carbon 14
title_short	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
title_full	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
title_fullStr	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
title_full_unstemmed	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
title_sort	Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv	Hatté, Christine Ejaz, Mukkaram Gauthier, Caroline Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian Moretti, Lucas Martin Morras, Hector Nadeau, Marie-Josée Pawełczyk, Sławomira Piotrowska, Natalia Thil, François Tifafi, Marwa Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine Ustrzycka, Alicja
author	Hatté, Christine
author_facet	Hatté, Christine Ejaz, Mukkaram Gauthier, Caroline Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian Moretti, Lucas Martin Morras, Hector Nadeau, Marie-Josée Pawełczyk, Sławomira Piotrowska, Natalia Thil, François Tifafi, Marwa Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine Ustrzycka, Alicja
author_role	author
author2	Ejaz, Mukkaram Gauthier, Caroline Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian Moretti, Lucas Martin Morras, Hector Nadeau, Marie-Josée Pawełczyk, Sławomira Piotrowska, Natalia Thil, François Tifafi, Marwa Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine Ustrzycka, Alicja
author2_role	author author author author author author author author author author author author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv	Medio Ambiente Vigilancia Ambiental Análisis Isotópico Técnicas Analíticas Carbono-14 Environment Environmental Monitoring Isotope Analysis Analytical Methods Carbon 14
topic	Medio Ambiente Vigilancia Ambiental Análisis Isotópico Técnicas Analíticas Carbono-14 Environment Environmental Monitoring Isotope Analysis Analytical Methods Carbon 14
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv	Advances in analytical techniques now allow isotope and geochemical measurements on ever smaller samples, opening new fields of application in environmental studies. Yet, in heterogeneous solid matrices commonly encountered in environmental systems (e.g. soils, sediments, particulate materials in water and air), this approach raises a critical issue: do tiny aliquots still represent the original sample, or do they provide a partial and potentially misleading signal? To address this question, we combine statistical simulations with empirical data. Using a soil simulated 14C distribution and 14C measurements on an Argentinian Acrisol, we show that single measurements on small aliquots (∼100 μg C) often fail to reproduce the mean signal of the parent sample. Replication improves representativeness, but the number of replicates required depends on the degree of heterogeneity and must be determined case by case. Similar patterns are observed for δ13C, where variability between replicates exceeds analytical error. Although our examples focus on 14C and δ13C, the underlying reasoning applies broadly to isotope-based approaches used to interpret environmental processes, including biogeochemical cycling, environmental monitoring, and assessments of environmental change. In the context of environmental microsampling, analytical precision is no longer the main limitation; ensuring representativeness through an appropriate replication strategy has become essential for robust environmental interpretation. EEA Cerro Azul Fil: Hatté, Christine. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia Fil: Hatté, Christine. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia Fil: Ejaz, Mukkaram. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia Fil: Gauthier, Caroline. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia Fil: Jedrzejowski, Maksymilian. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia Fil: Moretti, Lucas Martín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cerro Azul; Argentina Fil: Morras, Héctor. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Suelos; Argentina Fil: Morras, Héctor. Universidad del Salvador. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias; Argentina Fil: Nadeau, Marie-Josée. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia Fil: Nadeau, Marie-Josée. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. National Laboratory for Age Determination; Noruega Fil: Pawełczyk, Sławomira. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia Fil: Piotrowska, Natalia. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia Fil: Thil, François. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia Fil: Tifafi, Marwa. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia Fil: Tisnérat-Laborde, Nadine. CNRS UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement; Francia Fil: Ustrzycka, Alicja. Silesian University of Technology. Centre for Science and Education. Institute of Physics; Polonia
description	Advances in analytical techniques now allow isotope and geochemical measurements on ever smaller samples, opening new fields of application in environmental studies. Yet, in heterogeneous solid matrices commonly encountered in environmental systems (e.g. soils, sediments, particulate materials in water and air), this approach raises a critical issue: do tiny aliquots still represent the original sample, or do they provide a partial and potentially misleading signal? To address this question, we combine statistical simulations with empirical data. Using a soil simulated 14C distribution and 14C measurements on an Argentinian Acrisol, we show that single measurements on small aliquots (∼100 μg C) often fail to reproduce the mean signal of the parent sample. Replication improves representativeness, but the number of replicates required depends on the degree of heterogeneity and must be determined case by case. Similar patterns are observed for δ13C, where variability between replicates exceeds analytical error. Although our examples focus on 14C and δ13C, the underlying reasoning applies broadly to isotope-based approaches used to interpret environmental processes, including biogeochemical cycling, environmental monitoring, and assessments of environmental change. In the context of environmental microsampling, analytical precision is no longer the main limitation; ensuring representativeness through an appropriate replication strategy has become essential for robust environmental interpretation.
publishDate	2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv	2026-04-07T12:18:04Z 2026-04-07T12:18:04Z 2026-05
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv	info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format	article
status_str	publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv	http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25692 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969726003761 0048-9697 1879-1026 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181712
url	http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25692 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969726003761 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181712
identifier_str_mv	0048-9697 1879-1026
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv	eng
language	eng
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rights_invalid_str_mv	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv	Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv	Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv	Science of The Total Environment 1029 : 181712. (May 2026) reponame:INTA Digital (INTA) instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str	INTA Digital (INTA)
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repository.mail.fl_str_mv	tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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Aliquot size and sample heterogeneity in environmental studies: consequences for isotope-based interpretation

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