Instrumental base and abilities of the Analytical Center for Isotope Investigations of IMCES SB RAS

The available up-to-date equipment allows us to perform various research tasks using modern scientific tools. The article shows examples of how data on the composition of stable isotopes can be used in biology, environmental studies, archeology, and paleoclimatology. In addition to stable isotopes, radioactive isotopes ¹⁴C and ³H are studied. An 1220 Quantulus spectrometer-radiometer is used to determine their specific activity. Investigations on the tritium specific activity in aqueous samples and tritium water isolated from tree ring cellulose on background and anthropogenically loaded sites are carried out. An analysis of carbon specific activity allows performing radiocarbon dating of bottom sediments, peat deposits, and archaeological samples. A qualitative elemental analysis is carried out using a Hitachi TM-1000 microscope equipped with an X-ray spectral analyzer. (paper)