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Problems Associated with the Use of Coal As a Source of 14C-Free Background Material

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

David C Lowe
David C Lowe*
Affiliation:
National Center for Atmospheric Research*, Boulder, Colorado 80307
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Abstract

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Many 14C dating laboratories have established that coal samples exhibit a finite 14C age, apparently caused by contamination of the specimens before any laboratory preparation is undertaken. In this work, the possibility that the contamination is due to microbial and fungal activity in the coal substrate is considered and some suggestions are made for alternative sources of background test materials for 14C dating laboratories. Initial results indicate that geologically formed graphites contain little 14C and are likely to be good background test materials, especially in 14C AMS laboratories.

Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , 1989 , pp. 117 - 120
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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