Re: Isotope Analysis

Karen (karen@uab.edu)
Wed, 03 Jul 1996 02:38:27 GMT

Phillip Bigelow <bh162@scn.org> wrote:

(snip)

>:Fluorine is NOT used in trace element analysis, because it is a common
>:element in diagenetic alteration.

An interesting aside about flourine:

Even though as pb pointed out, flourine is not useful for analysis due
to the large amount of unpredictable soil variables that affect
absorption rates (diagenesis), it was used to help expose the Piltdown
Man hoax.

There is some amount of diagenesis with all of the trace elements as
far as I know but with a low degree of diagenesis, the variables can
be controlled for so practical application for analysis for interment
intervals can be obtained.

Karen