非传统锑同位素在地球科学领域研究及应用进展

A Review of Advances in the Study of Non-Traditional Antimony Isotopes in Earth Science

  • 摘要: 非传统锑同位素在环境污染监测、古环境重建和资源勘探等领域发挥了重要作用,特别是在示踪锑的来源、迁移路径及地球化学过程方面提供了独特视角。本文系统梳理了锑及其同位素的地球化学行为、分析测试技术、分馏机理及在地球科学领域的应用进展。前人研究借助多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱(MC-ICP-MS)技术将同位素分析精度提升至0.01‰,在此基础上,研究发现氧化还原、吸附、生物作用及蒸发过程是导致锑同位素分馏的核心机制,其中121Sb富集于低价态、吸附相或反应产物,123Sb留存于高价态、溶液相或反应物中,同时反应速率、温度等是影响分馏机制的重要因素。在环境领域应用方面,锑同位素可在环境污染监测中实现精准溯源,如能识别土壤中锑的多种来源(包括岩石风化、大气沉降等),并可解析其迁移路径,该迁移过程受有机质、铁锰氧化物等的吸附控制;在沉积岩古环境研究中,可用于示踪古海洋氧化还原状态及成矿元素富集过程;在油藏研究中,能揭示热液与有机质的相互作用机制;在矿床勘探中,可追踪热液流动路径及多阶段成矿的演化过程;在煤层研究中,则能解析成矿流体来源及热液对锑富集作用。随着分析测试技术的进步及测试精度的提升,锑同位素在多学科中的应用潜力显著,可作为地学与环境科学交叉工具,未来需结合多元素同位素构建更全面示踪模型,为资源勘探与污染治理提供精准技术支撑。

     

    Abstract: Non-traditional antimony (Sb) isotopes play a pivotal role in environmental pollution monitoring, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, resource exploration, and other fields, offering a unique perspective for tracing Sb sources, migration pathways, and geochemical processes. In this paper, the geochemical behaviors, analytical testing techniques, and fractionation mechanisms of Sb and its isotopes are systematically summarized, as well as their applications in geoscience. Previous studies have improved the analytical precision of Sb isotope measurements to 0.01‰ via multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Based on this, redox reactions, adsorption, biological processes, and evaporation have been identified as the core mechanisms driving Sb isotope fractionation: 121Sb is enriched in low-valence states, adsorbed phases, or reaction products, while 123Sb remains in high-valence states, aqueous phases, or reactants. In addition, reaction rate, temperature, and other factors are key to regulating such fractionation. In environmental applications, Sb isotopes enable accurate source tracing in pollution monitoring—for example, identifying multiple Sb sources in soils (e.g., rock weathering and atmospheric deposition) and elucidating their migration pathways, which are governed by adsorption onto organic matter and Fe-Mn oxides. In paleoenvironmental studies of sedimentary rocks, antimony isotopes trace the redox conditions of ancient oceans and the enrichment of ore-forming elements; in oil reservoir studies, they reveal interaction mechanisms between hydrothermal fluids and organic matter; in mineral deposit exploration, they track hydrothermal migration pathways and the evolution of multistage mineralization; and in coal seam studies, they elucidate the sources of ore-forming fluids and hydrothermal effects on Sb enrichment. With advances in analytical techniques and improved measurement precision, Sb isotopes show tremendous application potential in multidisciplinary research and serve as an interdisciplinary tool linking geoscience and environmental science. Future research should integrate multiple isotope systems to develop more comprehensive tracing models, thus providing precise technical support for resource exploration and pollution control. The BRIEF REPORT is available for this paper at http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202504160092.

     

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