Isotopic and mineralogic bias introduced by pulverization of aragonite

This study investigated whether common methods used to grind aragonite samples for stable isotope analysis can alter their original mineralogy and isotopic composition. By testing a range of pulverisation techniques on both biogenic and abiogenic aragonite, the authors found that machine-based grinding methods commonly caused partial conversion of aragonite to calcite and shifted oxygen and carbon isotope values, potentially introducing bias into palaeoclimate reconstructions. The results highlight the importance of careful sample preparation and recommend manual grinding with an agate mortar and pestle as the most reliable method for preserving original isotopic signals.

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