T04_P01

¹⁴C Measurement of Samples for Environmental Applications at the National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) Radiocarbon Laboratory, SUERC, UK.

Ascough P¹, Bompard N¹, Garnett M¹, Gulliver P¹, Murray C¹, Newton J¹, Taylor C¹

¹SUERC, University Of Glasgow, East Kilbride, United Kingdom

The National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) Radiocarbon Laboratory at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) performs radiocarbon measurement of a wide range of sample matrices for applications in environmental research. The laboratory is funded by the UK’s National Environment Research Council (NERC), as part of NERC’s Scientific Services and Facilities portfolio. Radiocarbon is applied to palaeoenvironmental, palaeoceanographic, and palaeoclimatic investigations, as well as work to understand the source, fate, turnover, and age of the carbon in the modern carbon cycle. The NEIF Radiocarbon laboratory supports users in the development and deployment of novel sampling techniques and laboratory approaches. Here, we give an overview of methods and procedures used by the laboratory to support the field collection of samples and to perform the physical and chemical pretreatment of samples. This includes in-house development of novel and/or specialised methods and approaches, such as field collection of CO₂ and CH₄, hydropyrolysis, and ramped oxidation. The sample types covered include organic remains (e.g. plant material, peat, wood, charcoal, proteins), carbonates (e.g. speleothems, foraminifera, mollusc shell, travertine), waters (dissolved organic and inorganic carbon), gases (CO₂ and CH₄), soils and sediments (including sub-fractions).