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Measurement of 14C Content in Leaves near a Cement Factory in Mount Lebanon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

Rana Baydoun ,
Omar El Samad ,
Bilal Nsouli  and
Ghassan Younes
Rana Baydoun*
Affiliation:
Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, National Council for Scientific Research, Beirut, Lebanon
Omar El Samad
Affiliation:
Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, National Council for Scientific Research, Beirut, Lebanon
Bilal Nsouli
Affiliation:
Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, National Council for Scientific Research, Beirut, Lebanon
Ghassan Younes
Affiliation:
Beirut Arab University, Faculty of Sciences, Chemistry Department, Dibbich, Lebanon
*
Corresponding author. Email: rbaydoun@cnrs.edu.lb.
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Abstract

Radiocarbon content in biogenic samples is widely used to study the variation of atmospheric CO2 due to anthropogenic activities. A total of 26 samples of evergreen and deciduous tree leaves, as well as seasonal small plant leaves, were analyzed for this study. Sampling was carried out at the end of the vegetation season from rural villages surrounding a cement factory in Mount Lebanon Province, Lebanon. Reference samples of identical species were collected during the same period from a clean zone. The conventional 14C method was used for the determination of Δ14C values. The data showed that the 14C concentration in the studied sites was significantly lower than the clean area, due to the release of anthropogenic CO2. In order to estimate the Suess effect, the fossil fuel fraction was determined based on equations of mass balance for CO2 concentration, stable isotopic composition of carbon, and 14C concentration. The results showed that selected locations are affected differently according to their distance from the factory and the wind direction.

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Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 57 , Issue 1 , 2015 , pp. 153 - 159
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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