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Article: Stable isotope geochemistry. (Milestones of Canadian Chemistry in the 20th Century).
- Article from:
- Canadian Chemical News
- Article date:
- February 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Chemical Institute of Canada. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Stable isotope abundance measurements in Canada were initiated by Henry ('Harry') G. Thode in the 1940's at McMaster University. Although it was recognized that isotopic species participate in chemical reactions at different rates, there was a prevailing notion that for elements heavier than hydrogen, the effects might be too small to accurately measure. Based on developments by A. O. C. Nier (University of Minnesota), Thode was the first in Canada to build a series of mass spectrometers especially designed for such measurements.
Although he studied many elements, he was particularly attracted to sulfur. He was the first to demonstrate mass dependent isotope ...