Preparation for Radiocarbon Analysis

This chapter presents an overview of the steps required to prepare a sample for radiocarbon (14C) measurement by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). These include: (1) collection of an appropriate sample that can answer the question being asked; (2) pretreatment of samples to isolate a the most representative fraction of the bulk carbon (C) or to separate total C into different components; (3) conversion of C in the sample to CO2 and/or graphite for measurement by AMS; and (4) assessing errors, especially those associated with 14C contamination that occur during processing.