Stable Isotope Facility

Oxygen (¹⁸O) and Hydrogen (D/H) Solid Sample Preparation

Analysis	Required Elemental Amount*
Oxygen	200ug Oxygen
Hydrogen	75ug Hydrogen

*Please use the expected percentage of oxygen or hydrogen for your samples to determine the proper sample weight. If you have any questions, please contact us at sif@ucdavis.edu

Weigh samples into silver capsules (3.5 x 5.0 mm) and organize into a clean 96-well tray. Use separate trays for each analysis type. Ensure samples stay in the wells during shipping by placing an index card (cut to size) or Parafilm over the tray before securing the lid. Do not use adhesive films to cover the open wells. Tape the lid securely closed.

Supplies

Manufacturer / Part#	Description	Unit
Costech / 041066	Silver capsules for solid samples, 3.5x5 mm	100/pk
Elemental Microanalysis / D2003	Silver capsules for solid samples, 3.5x5 mm	100/pk
Electron Microscopy Sciences / 70437-R1	96-Well Plate, Round-Bottom, With Lid	10/pk
Electron Microscopy Sciences / 70437-R5	96-Well Plate, Round-Bottom, With Lid	50/cs
BD Falcon / 320 353917	96-Well Round-Bottom Plates with Lid	100/cs

Organization
1) Organize samples into a clean 96-well tray; do not leave empty wells.

2) For small samples, ensure they remain in the wells during shipping by placing an index card (cut to size) or Parafilm over the tray before securing the lid. Do not use adhesive tape to cover the open wells. Tape the lid securely closed using tape on all four sides. Turn the tray over and gently shake to test if samples stay in the wells or if the capsules leak sample material. Re-encapsulate any leaky capsules before shipping.

3) Label the lid of each sample tray with a unique name. Include this tray name in the Sample List. Results will include the unique tray name and well position (e.g., A1).

4) For enriched samples, arrange samples to avoid wide fluctuations in isotope content. Place non-enriched samples ahead of enriched samples within the same tray, or place non-enriched and enriched samples in separate trays.

Shipping
Please read and follow the instructions carefully to ensure safe transit and appropriate handling of your samples.

IMPORTANT: Feathers from outside the U.S. must be accompanied with a copy of our USDA APHIS Permit. Please contact us at sif@ucdavis.edu for a copy of the permit to include with your samples.

Please complete the online Analysis Order Form and Sample List for your samples and email these forms to sif@ucdavis.edu. Please include a printed copy of these forms with your samples. The SIF uses this form to track your samples and to contact you regarding receipt of samples, data, and invoicing. For mixed analysis requests, we require the completion of a separate form for each type of analysis.

The sample list should include weights where appropriate. If more rows are required in the sample list, simply add the rows and continue the numbering in column A.

Also, please include:
- A general description of the material being analyzed including approximate elemental composition.
- The expected range of isotopic composition for enriched material.

Carefully package the sample trays to protect them during shipping. Single trays should be wrapped with multiple layers of bubble wrap and can be shipped in a padded envelope or box. Multiple trays should be banded or taped together and shipped in rigid box filled with packing material. Desiccants, such as Drierite, should not be included with samples unless contained within a spillproof, separate package.

Failure to properly package and protect trays often results in sample loss during shipping.