EIR2026/00154: Isotopic Datasets
Case reference EIR2026/00154
Received 22 February 2026
Published 29 April 2026
Request
Request Received: 22 February 2026
I contacted the author of this published paper (https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12280) requesting a copy of the data many years back and it was refused.
It states in the paper:
"compilation of isotopic datasets by the British Geological Survey (BGS) over the past 25 years combined with (relatively scarce) published studies by other researchers makes it possible for the present paper to attempt a synthesis.”
And in the acknowledgements:
"Most of the groundwater data considered in this paper have come from studies carried out by staff of the British Geological Survey over the past quarter-century.”
Could the BGS please provide all the oxygen and hydrogen isotope data for groundwater and surface water that the BGS contain?
Response
Response Sent: 20 March 2026
Your request concerns environmental information and therefore we have considered it under the terms of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Your request is for all the oxygen and hydrogen isotope data for groundwater and surface water that the BGS holds.
BGS does not hold a database of all oxygen and hydrogen isotope data. Any oxygen or hydrogen data that has been collected or processed has been done so under individual projects, over a period of more than 30 years, by different teams in BGS. Some of this is commissioned commercial work so in some cases it is considered confidential and BGS does not necessarily hold the IPR. The data is held by different projects in different locations and there is no index that could identify which projects involved analysing for oxygen or hydrogen isotopes.
BGS has, over the last five years, been compiling a dataset of oxygen and hydrogen isotope data from Scotland (the past 20 years of data), gathering it together from the various projects that have processed it. This has taken six months of effort over a 5-year period (so far) and the intention is to complete it this calendar year with publication anticipated in early 2027 when it will be made available.
Your request for all oxygen and hydrogen isotope data held in BGS (from groundwater and surface water) is therefore, unfortunately, not possible to fulfil within a reasonable timescale or cost even if we were to apply an extension to the request. For this reason, we must apply the exception, 12(4)(b) ‘Manifestly unreasonable’. In doing this, we have considered the public interest test.
BGS recognises that there is an argument in favour of release, in the interests of transparency and accountability. Additionally, the content concerns groundwater and groundwater is an important public commodity and therefore the public interest in this material is high. However, the amount of work involved to provide the information you have requested would divert resources away from many other areas of BGS work, that are also in the public interest, to a significant extent and for a significant period of time.
On balance in this case, we believe the public interest is better served by maintaining the exception and remaining better able to apply resource across a number of different areas of research.
Under our duty to advise and assist, we would like to help you to refine your request so that it is manageable enough that we can locate the data and consider any confidentiality and IPR issues.
There are several ways you might refine your request:
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If you can provide us with information on the nature of your research and the purpose of the data this might help us to provide what you need.
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Narrow down the location of interest
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Narrow down the date range of interest (for instance the last two years).
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If you can let us know what you already have, this may help us to fill the gaps and provide what you need.
We have also reviewed your original request for the data that was refused previously; the data cited in the published paper. BGS holds this data, but it has IPR and commercial confidentiality concerns as described above and as mentioned in the original refusal. If you confirm that this specific original data is still of interest, we will review the issues around IPR and confidentiality.
Your rights
If you have any queries regarding our response, please do let us know. If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review, explaining which elements of this decision you disagree with and why. Internal review requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of our response and should be addressed to:
Head of Information Governance
Email: foi@ukri.org
Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are still not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the review procedure provided by UKRI. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: www.ico.org.uk.
If you wish to raise a complaint regarding the service you have received or the conduct of any UKRI staff in relation to your request, please see UKRI’s complaints procedure.
Documents
This is UK Research and Innovation's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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