The environment is, by its nature, in continuous evolution, but mankind has accelerated the path towards an unknown direction. ISOCORE performs Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry measurements of the isotopic composition of elements such as Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen and Nitrogen in the atmosphere, in soils, in vegetation and in waters, that have been demonstrated to be a very sensitive indicator of the tiny variations of the fluxes of such elements and to study mechanisms of the Global Carbon Cycle still barely understood.

Studies of source apportionment of NO3^– in contaminated aquifers by the analysis of Nitrogen and Oxygen isotope ratios  (e.g. by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) can be supported by the isotopic ratio measurements of Boron (d¹¹B) by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.

Isotopes of hydrogen in water (D/H) can help identify mixing of groundwater with landfill leachate because of methanogenesis. The isotopes of C (¹³C/¹²C) and N (¹⁵N/¹⁴N) are useful to quantify the contribution of different sources (fossil vs carbonate for C and combustion vs fertilizer for N) in atmospheric particulate matter.

Environmental pollution – Nuclear safeguards

Nuclear plants are a possible source of anthropogenic radionuclides to the environment. Uranium (²³⁸U, ²³⁵U and ²³⁴U) and Plutonium (²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu) isotope ratio (Nuclear Wastes) can be utilized to trace environmental releases from nuclear plants.

Ultrasensitive measurements of isotopic ratios by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry allow the determination of the concentration of rare isotopes, which represent an extremely sensitive indicator of natural processes which characterized in the past the terrestrial ecosystem as well as of human activity. In this framework, nuclear plants for example represent a possible source of anthropogenic radionuclides to the environment. Uranium (²³⁸U, ²³⁵U and ²³⁴U) and Plutonium (²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu) isotope ratio can be utilized to trace environmental releases from nuclear plants: ²³⁶U/²³⁸U isotope ratios measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry can be coupled to ²³⁵U/²³⁸U and ²³⁴U/²³⁸U high precision Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry .

The Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory performs qualitative and quantitative analyses by high resolution and low-background γ-ray spectroscopy, while monitoring by Scintillation Spectrometry of Radon emissions from soils, in relationship with seismic and volcanic activity, allow to characterize soils and building materials.