Treatment Protocol for Using Tree-ring Zn Isotopes for Environmental Studies

Zinc isotopes (δ66Zn) are promising indicators for understanding biogeochemical processes and tracing sources in environmental geochemistry. This study, the first of its kind, proposes a treatment protocol for determining white spruce tree-ring Zn concentration and δ66Zn values. By pooling year-equivalent tree rings of four individual trees (total of 45 samples), the protocol produces reliable tree-ring Zn concentrationand δ66Zn values. In the end, comparing the pooled and mean values with the individual treesshows an excellent match. It suggests that the protocol has the potential to be applied in future environmental studies.