T04_P25

A summary of quality assurance samples at the SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory

Tripney B¹, Dunbar E¹, Naysmith P¹

¹Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, United Kingdom

The SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory reports approximately 3000 unknown samples per year with an additional 1200 samples processed for quality assurance (QA) purposes.  In addition to the primary OXII standard (SRM-4990C) required for AMS batch normalisation, secondary known-age standards (TIRI A and SIRI N) have been used to evaluate batch quality over many years, while interglacial wood (VIRI K), geological-age carbonate (TIRI F) and mammoth bone are employed as ‘background’ standards for age calculation.

Further ‘in-house’ tertiary standards are used to monitor specific processes. Measurements on a 2007 new make spirit are used to promote confidence in the preparation of whisky samples, with kerosine providing a background check for the method. Starting in 2003 a series of known-age bones have been used to monitor collagen extraction, while repeat preparations of a cremated bone sample are a more recent addition.

Summary results for these samples are given, setting them within the context of the laboratory QA system.