ABSTRACT
The fate of organic compounds in the environment is controlled by a number of processes. These include transport processes in the aqueous and gas phase, phase transfer processes, and transformation processes. During the rst two types of processes, the molecules remain intact. The third process-chemical or biological transformation-involves breaking of bonds. The presence of a heavy isotope in molecules can have a particularly large effect on such transformation processes. Therefore, the origin and magnitude of isotope fractionation during
3.1 Principles and Mechanisms of Isotope Fractionation ..................................... 43 3.2 Expressing and Quantifying Isotope Fractionation ........................................44 3.3 Isotope Fractionation During Transport Processes ........................................50 3.4 Isotope Fractionation During Phase Transfer Processes ................................ 53 3.5 Isotope Fractionation During Transformation Processes ...............................54
