Preparation of inorganic and organic carbon for 14C analysis from a single marine sample

Abstract

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. Δ14C 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.