Determination of the Isotopic Composition of Osmium Using MC-ICPMS

Despite its widespread applications in geology, all osmium isotope ratio measurements are either uncalibrated or rely on the veracity of the uncalibrated 1937 Nier values by adopting them as normalizing constants typically in conjunction with an exponential mass bias correction model. In this study, isotope ratios of osmium were determined in six commercial osmium materials, including the DROsS standard and a new NRC isotopic osmium reference material OSIS-1, by MC-ICPMS. We use a previously optimized and validated regression mass bias correction model to correct instrumental isotope fractionation effects which does not rely either on Nier's values or on a strictly mass-dependent behavior of the isotopes. Deviations from mass-dependent fractionation (mass independent fractionation) were observed for osmium isotopes in MC-ICPMS with the most dramatic effect occurring for ¹⁸⁷Os, wherein, on average, close to half-percent bias in the isotope ratio ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os was observed as a result of imposing Russell's law.