Received: 19 May 2020 Revised: 16 July 2020 Accepted: 17 July 2020 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8901 RESEARCH ARTICLE Effect of removal of organic material on stable isotope ratios in skeletal carbonate from taxonomic groups with complex mineralogies Marcus M. Key Jr1 | Abigail M. Smith2 | Niomi J. Phillips1 | Jeffrey S. Forrester3 1Department of Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 1773, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, Rationale: Stable oxygen and carbon isotope ratios are one of the most accurate 17013-2896, USA ways of determining environmental changes in the past, which are used to predict 2Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, future environmental change. Biogenic carbonates from marine organisms are the New Zealand most common source of samples for stable isotope analysis. Before they are 3 Department of Mathematics and Computer analyzed by mass spectrometry, any organic material is traditionally removed by one Science, P.O. Box 1773, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, 17013-2896, USA of three common pretreatment methods: roasting, bleaching, or with hydrogen peroxide at various strengths and durations. Correspondence 18 13 Marcus M. Key, Jr, Department of Earth Methods: This study compares δ O and δ C values in a control with no Sciences, P.O. Box 1773, Dickinson College, pretreatment with those from five different pretreatment methods using Carlisle, PA 17013-2896, USA. Email:
[email protected] conventional acid digestion mass spectrometry. The objectives are to: assess the impact of the most common pretreatment methods on δ18O and δ13C values from Funding information Atlantic Richfield Foundation Research Award (1) taxonomically underrepresented groups in previous studies, and (2) those that of Dickinson College; Research and precipitate a wide range of biomineralogies, in the debate of whether to pretreat or Development Committee of Dickinson College not to pretreat.