Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ndmmz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-04T19:51:29.834Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measurement of Biocarbon in Flue Gases Using 14C

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

K M Hämäläinen ,
H Jungner ,
O Antson ,
J Räsänen ,
K Tormonen  and
J Roine
K M Hämäläinen*
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, University of Helsinki, Finland
H Jungner
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, University of Helsinki, Finland
O Antson
Affiliation:
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Finland
J Räsänen
Affiliation:
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Finland
K Tormonen
Affiliation:
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Finland
J Roine
Affiliation:
Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Finland
*
Corresponding author. Email: Kai.Hamalainen@helsinki.fi
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A preliminary investigation of the biocarbon fraction in carbon dioxide emissions of power plants using both fossil- and biobased fuels is presented. Calculation of the biocarbon fraction is based on radiocarbon content measured in power plant flue gases. Samples were collected directly from the chimneys into plastic sampling bags. The 14C content in CO2 was measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Flue gases from power plants that use natural gas, coal, wood chips, bark, plywood residue, sludge from the pulp factory, peat, and recovered fuel were measured. Among the selected plants, there was one that used only fossil fuel and one that used only biofuel; the other investigated plants burned mixtures of fuels. The results show that 14C measurement provides the possibility to determine the ratio of bio and fossil fuel burned in power plants.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 49 , Issue 2 , 2007 , pp. 325 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

Alakangas, E. 2000. Suomessa Käytettävien Polttoaineiden Ominaisuuksia [Properties of fuels used in Finland]. VTT Tiedotteita - Meddelanden - Research Notes 2045. Espoo: Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). 172 p + appendix 17 p. Google Scholar
ASTM International. 2005. Method D 6866-05: Determining the biobased content of natural range materials using radiocarbon and isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis. West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA: ASTM International.Google Scholar
Clayton, GD, Arnold, JR, Patty, FA. 1955. Determination of sources of particulate atmospheric carbon. Science 122(3173):751–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Currie, LA, Eglinton, TI, Benner, BA, Pearson, A. 1997. Radiocarbon “dating” of individual chemical compounds in atmospheric aerosol: first results comparing direct isotopic and multivariate statistical apportionment of specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 123(1–4):475–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deines, P. 1980. The isotopic composition of reduced organic carbon. In: Fritz, P, Fontes, JCh, editors. Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry. Volume 1. The Terrestrial Environment A. New York: Elsevier. p 373–84.Google Scholar
Kuc, T, Zimnoch, M. 1998. Changes of the CO2 sources and sinks in a polluted urban area (southern Poland) over the last decade, derived from the carbon isotope composition. Radiocarbon 40(1):417–23.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Hesshaimer, V. 2000. Radiocarbon—a unique tracer of global carbon cycle dynamics. Radiocarbon 42(1):69–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B. 1997. Twenty years of atmospheric 14CO2 observations at Schauinsland station, Germany. Radiocarbon 39(2):205–18.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B. 2004. The tropospheric 14CO2 level in mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (1959–2003). Radiocarbon 46(3):1261–72.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B, Schoch-Fischer, H, Bruns, M, Münnich, M, Berdau, D, Vogel, JC, Münnich, KO. 1985. 25 years of tropospheric 14C observations in Central Europe. Radiocarbon 27(1):1–19.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B, Schmidt, M, Sartorius, H. 2003. A novel approach for independent budgeting of fossil fuel CO2 over Europe by 14CO2 observations. Geophysical Research Letters 30(23):2194; doi:10.1029/2003GL018477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mielikäinen, K. 1997. Metsän kasvattaminen. In: Häyrynen, M, editor. Tapion Taskukirja. 23rd edition. Jyväskylä: Metsätalouden kehittämiskeskus Tapio. p204–15.Google Scholar
Noakes, J, Norton, G, Culp, R, Nigam, M, Dvoracek, D. 2005. A comparison of analytical methods for the certification of biobased products. In: Chałupnik, S, Schönhofer, F, Noakes, J, editors. LSC 2005: Advances in Liquid Scintillation Counting. Tucson: Radiocarbon, p 259–71.Google Scholar
Norton, GA, Devlin, SL. 2006. Determining the modern carbon content of biobased products using radiocarbon analysis. Biosource Technology 97(16):2084–90.Google Scholar
Slater, JF, Currie, LA, Dibb, JE, Benner, BA Jr. 2002. Distinguishing the relative contribution of fossil fuel and biomass combustion aerosols deposited at Summit, Greenland through isotopic and molecular characterization of insoluble carbon. Atmospheric Environment 36(28):4463–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slota, PJ Jr, Jull, AJT, Linick, TW, Toolin, LJ. 1987. Preparation of small samples for 14C accelerator targets by catalytic reduction of CO. Radiocarbon 29(2):303–6.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M, Quay, PD. 1981. Atmospheric 14C changes resulting from fossil fuel CO2 release and cosmic ray flux variability. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 53(3):349–62.Google Scholar
Szidat, S, Jenk, TM, Gäggeler, HW, Synal, H-A, Fisseha, R, Baltensperger, U, Kalberer, M, Samburova, V, Reimann, S, Kasper-Giebl, A, Hajdas, I. 2004. Radiocarbon (14C)-deduced biogenic and anthropogenic contributions to organic carbon (OC) of urban aerosols from Zurich, Switzerland. Atmospheric Environment 38(24):4035–44.Google Scholar