Preparation of Inorganic and Organic Carbon for 14C Analysis from a Single Marine Sample

Sheila Griffin and Ellen R. M. Druffel

We have developed a technique using a single apparatus to recover the inorganic and organic carbon from a small (few milligrams) aliquot of dried marine material for radiocarbon analysis. The main advantages of using a single apparatus are: 1) less sample is required, 2) decreased handling reduces contamination, and 3) less time and materials are used. Blank values of ~5 µg and 19-44 µg are obtained for the inorganic and organic carbon extractions, respectively. DELTA14C results from sinking particulate organic and inorganic carbon are presented for samples collected in deep-sea sediment traps deployed for 10-30 day periods at 650 and 100 m above bottom (mab) in the northeast Pacific Ocean.

[Radiocarbon Volume 40, Numbers 1-2, 1998]