A rapid method for the sampling of atmospheric water vapour for isotopic analysis

Analysis of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture is widely applied in the environmental sciences. Traditional methods for obtaining isotopic compositional data from ambient moisture have required complicated sampling procedures, expensive and sophisticated distillation lines, hazardous consumables, and lengthy treatments prior to analysis. Newer laser‐based techniques are expensive and usually not suitable for large‐scale field campaigns, especially in cases where access to mains power is not feasible or high spatial coverage is required. Here we outline the construction and usage of a novel vapour‐sampling system based on a battery‐operated Stirling cycle cooler, which is simple to operate, does not require any consumables, or post‐collection distillation, and is light‐weight and highly portable. We demonstrate the ability of this system to reproduce δ18O isotopic compositions of ambient water vapour, with samples taken simultaneously by a traditional cryogenic collection technique. Samples were collected over 1 h directly into autosampler vials and were analysed by mass spectrometry after pyrolysis of 1 µL aliquots to CO. This yielded an average error of < ±0.5‰, approximately equal to the signal‐to‐noise ratio of traditional approaches. This new system provides a rapid and reliable alternative to conventional cryogenic techniques, particularly in cases requiring high sample throughput or where access to distillation lines, slurry maintenance or mains power is not feasible. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.