Ecotoxicology & Environment

Stable Isotope Lab

Description

The Institute of Environmental Sciences’ Stable Isotope Lab provides state-of-the-art facilities to measure the delta proportions of 13C/12C, 15N/14N, 1H/2H and 34S/32S in solid and liquid samples. We use two systems:

Thermo Scientific: Delta V Advantage coupled with the ConFlo IV for connection with the peripherals. Elemental analyses are done with a Flash 2000 HT for combustion and pyrolysis. Compound-specific δ13C and δ15N analyses are conducted on a Trace GC Ultra and combusted in the GC IsoLink before connection with the Delta V Advantage.

Elementar: The BiovisION setup includes a visION isotope ratio mass spectrometer that is coupled via a centrION to a vario ISOTOPE cube. This setup allows bulk measurement of CNS.

Service

The Stable Isotope Lab offers stable isotope services to other research facilities. If you are interested in getting your samples measured, please contact us via nuw-silab(at)rptu.de to clarify details of the analyses. 

Equipment

Selected research using the Stable Isotope Lab Facilities

  • Bollinger, E., Mayer, J., Lai, F.Y., Schulz, R., Filker, S., Bundschuh, M. (2025) Adaptation of methanogenic microbial assemblages to antibiotics: The role of resistance genes and taxonomic composition. Environmental Pollution 383, 126828, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126828.
  • Bollinger, E., Schwilden, P., Lai, F.Y., Schulz, R., Bundschuh, M., Filker, S. (2024) Higher temperatures exacerbate effects of antibiotics on methanogenesis in freshwater sediment. Communications Earth & Environment 5, 647, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01828-3.
  • Sun, J., Covaci, A., Bustnes, J.O., Jaspers, V.L.B., Helander, B., Bårdsen, B.-J., Boertman, D., Dietz, R., Labansen, A.L., Schulz, R., Marlavannan, G., Sonne, C., Thorup, K., Tøttrup, A.P., Zubrod, J.P., Eens, M., Eulaers, I. (2024) Spatiotemporal trends of anthropogenic and naturally-occurring polybrominated diphenyl ethers in long-term white-tailed eagle feather collections. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 11, 158-165, doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00767.
  • Bollinger, E., Zubrod, J.P., Englert, D., Graf, N., Weisner, O., Kolb, S., Schaefer, R.B., Entling, M.H., Schulz, R. (2023) The influence of season, hunting mode, and habitat specialization on riparian spiders as key predators in the aquatic-terrestrial linkage. Scientific Reports 13, 22950, doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50420-w.
  • Bjedov, D., Mikuska, A., Begović, L., Bollinger, E., Bustnes, J. O., Deme, T., ... & Eulaers, I. (2023). Effects of white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) nestling diet on mercury exposure dynamics in Kopački rit Nature Park, Croatia. Environmental pollution, 336, 122377.
  • Bollinger, E., Zubrod, J. P., Englert, D., Pollitt, A., Fuß, B., Schulz, R., & Bundschuh, M. (2023). Making the invisible visible? Using stable isotope analysis to detect indirect toxicant effects. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 42(9), 1937-1945.
  • Kolbenschlag, S., Bollinger, E., Gerstle, V., Brühl, C. A., Entling, M. H., Schulz, R., & Bundschuh, M. (2023). Impact across ecosystem boundaries–Does Bti application change quality and composition of the diet of riparian spiders?. Science of the Total Environment, 873, 162351.
  • Bollinger, E., Zubrod, J. P., Lai, F. Y., Ahrens, L., Filker, S., Lorke, A., & Bundschuh, M. (2021). Antibiotics as a silent driver of climate change? A case study investigating methane production in freshwater sediments. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 228, 113025.
  • Graf, N., Battes, K. P., Cimpean, M., Entling, M. H., Frisch, K., Link, M., Scharmüller, A., Schreiner, V. C., Szöcs, E., Zubrod, J. P., & Schäfer, R. B. (2020). Relationship between agricultural pesticides and the diet of riparian spiders in the field. Environmental Sciences Europe, 32(1).
  • Pacioglu, O., Zubrod, J. P., Schulz, R., Jones, J. I., & Pârvulescu, L. (2019). Two is better than one: combining gut content and stable isotope analyses to infer trophic interactions between native and invasive species. Hydrobiologia, 839(1), 25-35.
  • Steinmetz, Z., Kurtz, M. P., Zubrod, J. P., Meyer, A. H., Elsner, M., & Schaumann, G. E. (2019). Biodegradation and photooxidation of phenolic compounds in soil—A compound-specific stable isotope approach. Chemosphere, 230, 210-218.
  • Wieczorek M.V., Kötter D., Gergs R. & Schulz R. (2015) Using stable isotope analysis in stream mesocosms to study potential effects of environmental chemicals on aquatic-terrestrial subsidies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International.
  • Gergs R., Koester M., Schulz R.S. & Schulz R. (2014) Potential alteration of cross-ecosystem resource subsidies by an invasive aquatic macroinvertebrate: implications for the terrestrial food web. Freshwater Biology, 59, 2645-2655.

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