<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Stable isotope analyses of oxygen are used in anthropology for such purposes as determination of origin of individuals, tracking migration routes or dynamics of human community relocation. The methodology related to oxygen isotope analysis has been founded on the relationship between its isotopic composition within phosphate groups of bone tissue (δ18Op) in individuals being analysed and the water consumed by such individuals (δ18Ow). Such a relationship has been observed in many species of mammals, including humans. However, the influence of culinary practices on the isotopic delta values of apatite phosphates of individuals has not yet been researched. The present study, which was conducted using laboratory rats, is an investigation of the influence of the thermal processing of water drank by such rats on the isotopic composition (δ18Op) of bone apatite. Increasing the value of the isotopic composition of water by about 6.1 ‰ during boiling resulted in an increase in the oxygen isotopic value δ18Op of rats drinking the water by about 4 ‰ (29%). It can be expected that regular consumption of heavily isotopic drinks and foods by humans may cause the δ18Op of individuals to exceed the range of isotopic environmental variability, even by a few per mille.</abstract>

Stable isotope analyses of oxygen are used in anthropology for such purposes as determination of origin of individuals, tracking migration routes or dynamics of human community relocation. The methodology related to oxygen isotope analysis has been founded on the relationship between its isotopic composition within phosphate groups of bone tissue (δ18Op) in individuals being analysed and the water consumed by such individuals (δ18Ow). Such a relationship has been observed in many species of mammals, including humans. However, the influence of culinary practices on the isotopic delta values of apatite phosphates of individuals has not yet been researched. The present study, which was conducted using laboratory rats, is an investigation of the influence of the thermal processing of water drank by such rats on the isotopic composition (δ18Op) of bone apatite. Increasing the value of the isotopic composition of water by about 6.1 ‰ during boiling resulted in an increase in the oxygen isotopic value δ18Op of rats drinking the water by about 4 ‰ (29%). It can be expected that regular consumption of heavily isotopic drinks and foods by humans may cause the δ18Op of individuals to exceed the range of isotopic environmental variability, even by a few per mille.

Oxygen isotopic fractionation in rat bones as a result of consuming thermally processed water – bioarchaeological applications

Geochronometria

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Stable isotope analyses of oxygen are used in anthropology for such purposes as determination of origin of individuals, tracking migration routes or dynamics...

Paper	Material	Cooking (min.) time	Temperature (°C)	Isotopic effect of cooking process
	Food (vegetables) water vs initial water	20	min. 100	+6.2 ‰

				+2.2 ‰ (chicken)
Daux et al., 2008	Food (meat) water vs initial water	20	min. 100	+2.8 ‰ (beef)
				+3.7 ‰ (mackerel)

	Food (rice, lentils) water vs initial water	20	min. 100	+2.6 ‰

Brettell et al., 2012	Vegetables and meat	60	min. 100	+4.0 ‰

Brettell et al., 2012	Vegetables and meat	180	min. 100	+10.1 ‰

	Sweet potato	300	125	+3.0 ‰

Tuross et al., 2017	Sweet potato	300	150	+6.0 ‰

	Meat	270	125	+1.1 ‰

Oxygen isotopic fractionation in rat bones as a result of consuming thermally processed water – bioarchaeological applications

Article Category: Regular Articles

Published Online: May 04, 2020

Page range: 1 - 12

Received: Jul 22, 2019

Accepted: Oct 29, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/geochr-2020-0001

Keywords
oxygen isotopes, cooking water, fractionation, bones, teeth, rats

© 2019 A. Lisowska-Gaczorek. publised by sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

The influence of thermal processing of food on isotopic ratios of oxygen in cooked food according to different authors.

Oxygen isotopic fractionation in rat bones as a result of consuming thermally processed water – bioarchaeological applications

Article Category: Regular Articles

Published Online: May 04, 2020

Page range: 1 - 12

Received: Jul 22, 2019

Accepted: Oct 29, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/geochr-2020-0001

Keywordsoxygen isotopes, cooking water, fractionation, bones, teeth, rats

© 2019 A. Lisowska-Gaczorek. publised by sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

The influence of thermal processing of food on isotopic ratios of oxygen in cooked food according to different authors.

Keywords
oxygen isotopes, cooking water, fractionation, bones, teeth, rats