Analysing the sample preparation process in meteorites and its impact on the pretreatment of returned samples to EarthOPEN ACCESS 

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Leire Coloma, Iratxe Población, Julene Aramendia, Fernando Alberquilla, Jennifer Huidobro, Gorka Arana, Juan Manuel Madariaga

Applied Geochemistry
Volume 198, February 2026, 106705
Version of Record 17 January 2026

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“Highlights

  • Sample preparation can introduce contaminants in meteorite analyses.
  • It is crucial to identify contaminants to avoid mischaracterizing samples.
  • Clean preparation protocols are needed for extraterrestrial samples.”

“The study of meteorites is important for planetary sciences because, among other things, it can provide information about the geochemical composition of their celestial body of origin. Often, subsample preparation is required to investigate the internal regions of these meteorites. However, during this process, the use of various tools and reagents can introduce contaminants, which are not always fully removable. As a result, exogenous substances may be detected during subsequent geochemical characterization analyses. To prevent the problems that may arise from this issue, this study analyzes multiple Martian meteorites with the aim of identifying contaminants introduced during sample preparation processes. Raman spectroscopy, one of the techniques used for extraterrestrial sample analysis, was employed to detect these residues. Establishing a robust subsample preparation protocol is essential not only for future sample return missions, where the ability to prepare uncontaminated subsamples upon arrival on Earth will be critical for accurate scientific investigations, but also for the handling of any type of meteorite.”

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