If the isotope of a molecule remains the same, it meets the first requirement to identify the source of a molecule or contaminant in the environment. If the isotope of a molecule were to change in any ...

Most of the isotopes have been used as “tracers.” Radioactive phosphorus, for instance, has exactly the same chemical properties as ordinary phosphorus.

Scientists have measured the half-lives of five never-before-seen isotopes in a first demonstration of a research facility that will help probe the nuclear structures of elements (Phys. Rev. Lett ...

The oxygen isotope composition of phosphate (δ 18 O p) offers a powerful tracer for elucidating the complex pathways of phosphorus cycling in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Journal of Environmental Management (2023). [3] Tracing phosphorus sources in the river-lake system using the oxygen isotope of phosphate. The Science of The Total Environment (2024).