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Related Concept Videos

Elements: Chemical Symbols and Isotopes02:31

Elements: Chemical Symbols and Isotopes

125.3K
A chemical symbol is an abbreviation used to indicate an element or an atom of an element. For example, the symbol for mercury is Hg. The same symbol is used to indicate one atom of mercury (microscopic domain) or to label a container of many atoms of the element mercury (macroscopic domain).
Some symbols are derived from the common English name of the element; others are abbreviations of the name in another language — Latin, Greek or German. For example, the symbol for aluminum (common name)...
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Isotopes01:12

Isotopes

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Elements have a set number of protons that determines their atomic number (Z). For example, all atoms with eight protons are oxygen; however, the number of neutrons can vary for atoms of the same element. The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called isotopes. Elements can have multiple isotopes, for example, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14.
An element's atomic mass, or weight,...
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Elements and Compounds01:27

Elements and Compounds

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Pure substances consist of only one type of matter. A pure substance can be an element or a compound. An element consists of only one type of atom, while a compound consists of two or more types of atoms held together by a chemical bond.
Elements
Elements are classified as atomic or molecular based on the nature of their basic units. They are unique forms of matter with specific chemical and physical properties that cannot break down into smaller substances by ordinary chemical reactions. There...
103.3K
Periodic Classification of the Elements04:00

Periodic Classification of the Elements

58.8K
The periodic table arranges atoms based on increasing atomic number so that elements with the same chemical properties recur periodically. When their electron configurations are added to the table, a periodic recurrence of similar electron configurations in the outer shells of these elements is observed. Because they are in the outer shells of an atom, valence electrons play the most important role in chemical reactions. The outer electrons have the highest energy of the electrons in an atom...
58.8K
IR Frequency Region: Fingerprint Region01:03

IR Frequency Region: Fingerprint Region

1.9K
IR spectra are divided into two main regions: the diagnostic region and the fingerprint region. The diagnostic region of the spectrum lies above 1500 cm−1. The absorptions resulting from single-bond vibrations of the N–H, C–H, and O–H stretch at higher wavenumbers and appear on the left side of the spectrum. The stretching absorptions of the C≡C and C≡N occur between 2100–2300 cm−1. In contrast, those arising from stretching absorptions of the...
1.9K
Classification of Elements and Compounds02:54

Classification of Elements and Compounds

72.9K
Pure substances consist of only one type of matter. A pure substance can be an element or a compound. An element consists of only one type of atom, while a compound consists of two or more types of atoms held together by a chemical bond. Elements are classified as atomic or molecular based on the nature of their basic units.
Compounds are pure substances composed of two or more elements in fixed, definite proportions. Compounds are classified as ionic or molecular (covalent) based on the bonds...
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DNA Stable-Isotope Probing DNA-SIP
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DNA Stable-Isotope Probing DNA-SIP

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From elements to isotopes: Fingerprinting consumer plastics.

Manon Le Corre1, Anne-Catherine Pierson-Wickmann1, Bleuenn Gueguen1

  • 1Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France.

Talanta
|January 21, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Multi-element profiles and metal isotopes create unique fingerprints for consumer plastics, revealing additive origins beyond basic polymer identification. This helps trace plastic sources and environmental fate.

Keywords:
CopperElemental fingerprintingIsotopic tracersLeadMicroplasticsPlasticsStrontium

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Polymer identification alone is insufficient to determine additive provenance or metal interactions.
  • Understanding the origin and fate of plastics is crucial for environmental management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if multi-element profiles and metal isotopes can serve as complementary fingerprints for consumer plastics.
  • To establish reproducible markers for additive provenance and differentiate manufacturing or recycling streams.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 119 consumer plastic items across major polymers and colors using microwave digestion.
  • Quantification of 41 elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
  • Measurement of Copper (Cu), Strontium (Sr), and Lead (Pb) isotope ratios using Multi-Collector ICP-MS (MC-ICP-MS).

Main Results:

  • Significant polymer and color effects on elemental concentrations were observed (e.g., PP vs. PE, color-dependent REE).
  • Wide variations in Strontium (Sr) isotope ratios suggest diverse mineral fillers and pigments.
  • Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) isotope ratios provided distinct signatures linked to pigment formulations and legacy additives, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Combined elemental and isotopic analysis provides integrated, transferable markers for additive provenance, surpassing simple polymer identification.
  • These elemental-isotopic fingerprints offer new methods for source apportionment and understanding the environmental behavior of plastics.