A simplified method for deuterium/hydrogen isotope ratio measurements on water samples of biological origin.

Equilibration of hydrogen gas with the water in a variety of biological sample materials was carried out in Vacutainers using platinum-on-alumina catalyst physically isolated from the liquid water. The equilibration takes 3 days at room temperature--much slower than with catalysts which float on the water surface--but this reduces the short-term temperature sensitivity of the procedure, and the inexpensive materials used allow convenient disposal of biologically contaminated samples after analysis. The slow equilibration also allows time for complete exchange with water contained in a complex sample matrix such as plant stems or soil without the need for prior isolation of the water sample. The method has particular application in studies of human total body water where repeated studies can be carried out over a short time period without the need to wait for the previous dose to wash out. Water turnover rates from total diurnal energy expenditure studies measured by this method were not significantly different from those obtained by the zinc reduction method.