The Sapienza Stable Isotope Lab (LISS) intends to promote advanced isotopic analysis and applications such
as multiple element compound-specific, triple oxygen and clumped analysis for diffent kinds of applications
in geosciences, from natural systems, with particular attention to climate studies, sustainable uses of
georesources, environmental protection. As a laboratory belonging to a Department of Excellence 2023-
2027 (MIUR), LISS has been able to grow and be funded for state-of-art instruments for CSIA
(hydrogen, carbon and chlorine), triple oxygen and clumped isotope analyses. The laboratory's most
innovative lines of research are: (1) Triple Oxygen in Silicates – by laser ablation systems we analyze triple
oxygen isotopes in silicates, providing insights on isotopic fractionation processes and the origin of oxygen
in silicate rocks; (2) tracking gases and pollutants such hydrocarbons, PFAS and chlorinated solvents utilizing
Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) to monitor the dispersion and degradation of these substances
in the environment; (3) CSIA analysis for biological, chemical and physical remediation methods
characterization: laboratory, pilot tests to full remediations. A geochemical approach to study paleoseismogenic environments (pseudotachylites) has been provided by the stable hydrogen investigation of minerals that interacted with internal vs. external fluids in fault zones. In addition to the above, the laboratory offers the possibility to carry out isotope analyses and investigate: a) metabolic trophic chains, in order to explore the interactions between species both within natural and anthropogenic environments; b) isotopic
paleoclimatic proxies in different stratigraphic conditions, from paleosols, pedogenic carbonates,
paleolacustrine sediments and micro/nanofossils; c) occurrence of fluids in fault zones representative of
fluid-rock interaction during tectonic activity at different scale. Within a few months we’ll be able to
perform clumped isotope analyses on CO2, either evolved from carbonate or sampled directly as a gas. This
section will complement the “carbonate isotope section” of LISS.
The equipment can be summarized as: n.3 IRMS, 2 automated lines for carbonate preparation and
analyses; n.1 oxygen extraction line for laser fluorination of crystals and/or powders; n. 2 elemental
analysers for C, N, S; n. 2 HT-conversion elemental analysesrs fo H and O .