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Updated: May 31, 2026

Isolation of Quartz Grains for Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) Dating of Quaternary Sediments for Paleoenvironmental Research
Published on: August 2, 2021
Strontium and lead isotope analyses for determining the geographic origins of grains
Kaoru Ariyama1, Miyuki Shinozaki, Akira Kawasaki
1Tokyo Research Laboratory, Japan Grain Inspection Association, Shiohama, Koto, Japan. k-ariyama@kokken.or.jp
Abstract:
A rapid determination method of (87)Sr/(86)Sr and Pb isotope ((204)Pb, (206)Pb, (207)Pb, and (208)Pb) ratios was applied to determining the geographic origin of grain crops. This new method is more economical in terms of both time and cost compared to conventional methods. We used samples of barley (n = 321), rice (n = 111), and wheat (n = 93) grown in various countries. (87)Sr/(86)Sr versus Sr concentration plots for the barley and wheat showed differences between products from Australia and those from other countries. Graphs of the Pb isotope ratios, comprising 15 two-dimensional plots, gave rise to a particular distribution for each country of production. The presented method showed promise for determining the production countries of grains by using the isotope ratios of Sr and Pb.
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