Geochemistry and the Spatial Patterns of Water Management are Reflected in Human Hair

EHLERINGER, JAMES R; TIPPLE, BRETT; CHESSON, LESLEY A; VALENZUELA, LUCIANO O

FLORENCIA

Conferencia; GOLDSCHMIDT CONFERENCE; 2013

European association of geochemistry

Element concentrations and isotopes of human tissues within urban regions are known to reflect human health, to provide diagnostic dietary information, and to provide regionof-origin information in a linear fashion. Here, we show the importance of isotopes of both oxygen in water and strontium within tap waters to the isotope ratios preserved within hair.We test the concept that oxygen isotopes in hair are predictable based of local drinking water values at the time that hair proteins (keratin) are initially produced within hair follicles, whereas strontium isotopes in hair reflect a progressive input from external tap waters after hair has emerged from the scalp. The contrasting inputs of oxygen and strontium isotopes to hair provide a predictable diagnostic tool that can be used in a wide array of forensics and region-oforigin studies. Since both oxygen isotope and strontium isotopes within drinking water are known to vary independently and spatially across continents in a predictable manner, the simultaneous measurement of both isotopes provides a new and powerful modern tool to reconstruct the region-of-origin of unidentified murder victims in forensicinvestigations.