The accuracy and precision of radiocarbon dating largely depend on the quality of sample preparation prior to measurement. Proper selection of material, identification of potential contaminants, and application of appropriate purification procedures are the basis of reliable 14C analyses. Modern preparation laboratories not only support the process of obtaining reliable results but also play a key role in integrating the scientific community and educating future geochronologists. In 2025, a new Laboratory of Preparation for Radiocarbon Dating (LBC14) was established at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The laboratory has been adapted for the selection and purification of macroscopic organic samples, such as charcoal, wood, peat, organic sediments, macrofossils, and bone—both unburned and cremated. The protocols used are acid-base-acid (ABA), ultrafiltration, and apatite preparation, modified according to the material’s state of preservation. The paper presents the scope of the new laboratory, the procedures used, and the first results of dating performed at the AMS Laboratory at ETH Zurich. The presented initiative is an important step towards the development of 14C research infrastructure in Poland and the construction of sustainable, interdisciplinary standards for working with dating material.

The natural variability of atmospheric 14C has been significantly altered by anthropogenic activities linked to technological advancements and energy consumption over the past two and a half centuries. The Suess effect, a consequence of the combustion of old carbon (fossil fuels) since the mid-18th century and the bomb peak from the mid-20th century’s thermonuclear tests, has obscured the natural 14C signal in the atmosphere. This study presents a 14C analysis of leaves, flowers, and grass collected from various locations worldwide. Over the last 10 years, more than 150 samples have been collected and used as materials for experiments conducted by students in physics lab classes (Department of Physics, ETH Zurich) or as part of school projects. Short-lived vegetal fragments are ideal material for teaching radiocarbon dating and demonstrating our research. The collection of data presented here underscores the sensitivity of radiocarbon analysis for detecting fossil carbon components. Trees from urban sites worldwide demonstrate a dilution of the atmospheric 14C concentration of 2–3%. Trees growing close to busy roads and traffic show a dilution of up to 10%. Moreover, the data show a fading trend of the bomb peak observed from 2015 to the present, as well as the direct impact of fossil CO2 on the 14C concentration of the living biota around us.

A newly developed compact AMS, LEA (Low Energy Accelerator), is tested and compared with a state-of-the-art AMS system MICADAS (Mini Carbon Dating System), which has a precision performance of better than 1‰ for modern 14C. The main difference between these two systems is the acceleration voltage, which has been reduced from 200 kV with the MICADAS system to 50 kV with the LEA system. In order to execute the final performance tests, exactly same samples (2 sets consisting of 7 standards, 4 blanks, 26 wood samples) are measured on both systems successively. The results show that the LEA system is fully operational, and the performance is entirely comparable with that of the MICADAS system.