Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T11:07:14.353Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Preparation Methods of μg Carbon Samples for 14C MeasuremenTS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2016

Peter Steier Open the ORCID record for Peter Steier [Opens in a new window] ,
Jakob Liebl ,
Walter Kutschera ,
Eva Maria Wild  and
Robin Golser
Peter Steier*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics – Isotope Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Jakob Liebl
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics – Isotope Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria PTW-Freiburg, Physikalisch-Technische Werkstätten Dr. Pychlau GmbH, Freiburg, Germany
Walter Kutschera
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics – Isotope Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Eva Maria Wild
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics – Isotope Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Robin Golser
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physics – Isotope Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
*
*Corresponding author. Email: peter.steier@univie.ac.at.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Systematic investigations and experience from several application projects on small carbon samples over a number of years have resulted in measuring the radiocarbon content of 10 μg C samples with an overall precision of typically 1%. A substantial reduction of the carbon contamination during graphitization was achieved, resulting in 31±30 ng modern and <100 ng 14C-free carbon. Thus, graphitization is no longer the limiting factor because earlier sample preparation steps usually introduce much larger contamination. The method has been extended to a variety of materials and applied to various projects. Realistic conditions for procedure development can only be achieved in the context of applications on true samples; methods developed are the lyophilization of samples in solution, combustion, ultraviolet oxidation, or carbonate hydrolysis with phosphoric acid, which allows to prepare samples for a wide range of applications. Insights gained from systematic investigations and from real applications are presented.

Keywords

microgramsample preparationbackgroundAMSradiocarbon
Type
Chemical Pretreatment Approaches
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 59 , Special Issue 3: Proceedings of the 22nd International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 2 of 2) , June 2017 , pp. 803 - 814
Copyright
© 2016 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 2015 Radiocarbon Conference, Dakar, Senegal, 16–20 November 2015

References

REFERENCES

Bergmann, O, Liebl, J, Bernard, S, Alkass, K, Yeung, MSY, Steier, P, Kutschera, W, Johnson, L, Landén, M, Druid, H, Spalding, K, Frisén, J. 2012. The age of olfactory bulb neurons in humans. Neuron 74(4):634–639.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Clercq, T, Heiling, M, Dercon, G, Resch, C, Aigner, M, Mayer, L, Mao, Y, Elsen, A, Steier, P, Leifeld, J, Merckx, R. 2015. Predicting soil organic matter stability in agricultural fields through carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 88:29–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jenk, TM, Szidat, S, Bolius, D, Sigl, M, Gäggeler, HW, Wacker, L, Ruff, M, Barbante, C, Boutron, CF, Schwikowski, M. 2009. A novel radiocarbon dating technique applied to an ice core from the Alps indicating late Pleistocene ages. Journal of Geophysical Research 114:D14305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liebl, J, Avalos Ortiz, R, Golser, R, Handle, F, Kutschera, W, Steier, P, Wild, EM. 2010. Studies on the preparation of small 14C samples with an RGA and 13C-enriched material. Radiocarbon 52(3):1394–1404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liebl, J, Steier, P, Golser, R, Kutschera, W, Mair, K, Priller, A, Vonderhaid, I, Wild, EM. 2013. Carbon background and ionization yield of an AMS system during 14C measurements of microgram-size graphite samples. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 294:335–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
May, B, Wagenbach, D, Hoffmann, H, Legrand, M, Preunkert, S, Steier, P. 2013. Constraints on the major sources of dissolved organic carbon in Alpine ice cores from radiocarbon analysis over the bomb-peak period. Journal of Geophysical Research: D Atmospheres 118(8):3319–3327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nemec, M, Wacker, L, Gäggeler, H. 2010. Optimization of the graphitization process at AGE-1. Radiocarbon 52(3):1380–1393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oestmann, G. 2010. The Planetenlaufuhr: a master work of astronomy and Renaissance by Eberhard Baldewein, 1563–1568. Journal for the History of Astronomy 41:129–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Blackwell, PJ, Bronk Ramsey, C, Buck, CE, Cheng, H, Edwards, RL, Friedrich, M, Grootes, PM, Guilderson, TP, Haflidason, H, Hajdas, I, Hatté, C, Heaton, TJ, Hoffmann, DL, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kaiser, KF, Kromer, B, Manning, SW, Niu, M, Reimer, RW, Richards, DA, Scott, EM, Southon, JR, Staff, RA, Turney, CSM, van der Plicht, J. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55(4):1869–1887.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Santos, GM, Moore, RB, Southon, JR, Griffin, S, Hinger, E, Zhang, D. 2007. AMS 14C sample preparation at the KCCAMS/UCI facility: status report and performance of small samples. Radiocarbon 49(2):255–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, G, Fasching, C, Wilhelm, L, Niggemann, J, Steier, P, Dittmar, T, Battin, T. 2012. Biogeochemically diverse organic matter in Alpine glaciers and its downstream fate. Nature Geoscience 5:710–714.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steier, P, Dellinger, F, Kutschera, W, Priller, A, Rom, W, Wild, EM. 2004. Pushing the precision limit of 14C AMS. Radiocarbon 46(1):5–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steier, P, Drosg, R, Fedi, M, Kutschera, W, Schock, M, Wagenbach, D, Wild, EM. 2006. Radiocarbon determination of particulate organic carbon in non-temperated, alpine glacier ice. Radiocarbon 48(1):69–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steier, P, Fasching, C, Mair, K, Liebl, J, Battin, T, Priller, A, Golser, R. 2013. A new UV oxidation setup for small radiocarbon samples in solution. Radiocarbon 55(2):373–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, RE, Southon, J. 2007. Use of natural diamonds to monitor 14C AMS instrument backgrounds. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259(1):282–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vogel, JS, Southon, JR, Nelson, DE, Brown, TA. 1984. Performance of catalytically condensed carbon for use in accelerator mass spectrometry. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 5(2):289–293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, YL, Liu, JW, Salazar, GA, Li, J, Zotter, P, Zhang, G, Shen, RR, Schafer, K, Schnelle-Kreis, J, Prevot, ASH, Szidat, S. 2012. Micro-scale (µg) radiocarbon analysis of water-soluble organic carbon in aerosol samples. Atmospheric Environment 97:1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar