14-C Analysis

Carbonaceous particles (total carbon, TC) are a major fraction of the fine aerosol and are classified into the subfractions elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC). EC originates from fossil-fuel combustion and biomass burning. OC can be emitted directly as primary organic aerosol from biogenic sources, wood burning and fossil fuel combustion or can be formed in the atmosphere as secondary organic aerosol (Szidat et al. 2006).

Analysis of the radioactive isotope 14C is a unique tool for distinguishing fossil and non-fossil sources of carbonaceous aerosol, because 14C in fossil fuels is completely depleted whereas other sources have a contemporary 14C level (Szidat et al. 2006). The 14C/12C content in the EC and OC fractions provides a quantitative and unambiguous measurement of the fossil/non-fossil carbon, thereby directly addressing a major uncertainty in the present understanding of organic aerosol sources.

Separation of the EC and OC fractions is carried out using the THEODORE system (Szidat, et al. 2004a) and a Sunset ECOC Analyzer. The evolving CO2 is cryo-trapped and sealed in glass ampoules. Recently, a new apprach was developed where the samples are combusted in a thermo-optical Sunset EC/OC analyzer. In this approach charring of OC to typically reduced to <5% and EC which is lost during the OC removal is accounted for (see Zhang et al. 2012).

The 14C measurements are then performed with the Mini Radiocarbon Dating System MICADAS (Ruff et al. 2007) at Laboratory for the Analysis of Radiocarbon with AMS (LARA) at the University of Bern (see Szidat et. al. 2014) (until 2013 at the Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich). The MICADAS is an accelerator mass spectrometry system designed only for 14C measurements. Furthermore it has a gas ion source which makes it possible to measure samples down to 3 microgram of carbon.

• 14-C in Switzerland
• CalNex-LA
• Aethalometer Aerowood

Journal Articles

THEODORE, a two-step heating system for the EC/OC determination of radiocarbon (14C) in the environment.
Szidat, S., T. M. Jenk, H. W. Gäggeler, H. A. Synal, I. Hajdas, G. Bonani, and M. Saurer, 2004a
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 223-224, 829-836.


MICADAS: A new compact radiocarbon AMS system.
Synal, H.-A., M. Stocker, and M. Suter, 2007
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 259, 7-13.


A gas ion source for radiocarbon measurements at 200 kV.
Ruff, M., L. Wacker, H. W. Gaggeler, M. Suter, H. A. Synal, and S. Szidat, 2007
Radiocarbon, 49, 307-314.


Radiocarbon (14C)-deduced biogenic and anthropogenic contributions to organic carbon (OC) of urban aerosols from Zürich, Switzerland.
Szidat, S., T. M. Jenk, H. W. Gäggeler, H. A. H. A. Synal, R. Fisseha, U. Baltensperger, M. Kalberer, V. Samburova, S. Reimann, A. Kasper-Giebl, and I. Hajdas, 2004b
Atmospheric Environment, 38, 4035-4044.


Contributions of fossil fuel, biomass-burning, and biogenic emissions to carbonaceous aerosols in Zurich as traced by 14C.
Szidat, S., T. M. Jenk, H.-A. Synal, M. Kalberer, L. Wacker, I. Hajdas, A. Kasper-Giebl, and U. Baltensperger, 2006
J. Geophys. Res., 111, D07206.


Dominant impact of residential wood burning on particulate matter in Alpine valleys during winter.
Szidat, S., A. S. H. Prévôt, J. Sandradewi, M. R. Alfarra, H.-A. Synal, L. Wacker, and U. Baltensperger, 2007
Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L05820.


Fossil and non-fossil sources of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in Göteborg, Sweden.
Szidat, S., M. Ruff, N. Perron, L. Wacker, H. A. Synal, M. Hallquist, A. S. Shannigrahi, K. E. Yttri, C. Dye, and D. Simpson, 2009
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 1521-1535.


Can 3-D models explain the observed fractions of fossil and non-fossil carbon in and near Mexico City?
Hodzic, A., J. L. Jimenez, A. S. H. Prévot, S. Szidat, J. D. Fast, and S. Madronich, 2010
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 10997-11016.


Quantification of the carbonaceous matter origin in submicron marine aerosol by 13C and 14C isotope analysis.
Ceburnis, D., A. Garbaras, S. Szidat, M. Rinaldi, S. Fahrni, N. Perron, L. Wacker, S. Leinert, V. Remeikis, M. C. Facchini, A. S. H. Prevot, S. G. Jennings, M. Ramonet, and C. D. O'Dowd, 2011
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 8593-8606.


Composition and sources of particulate matter in an industrialised Alpine valley.
Perron, N., J. Sandradewi, M. R. Alfarra, P. Lienemann, R. Gehrig, A. Kasper-Giebl, V. A. Lanz, S. Szidat, M. Ruff, S. Fahrni, L. Wacker, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2010
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 10, 9391-9430.


Towards on-line 14C analysis of carbonaceous aerosol fractions.
Perron, N., S. Szidat, S. Fahrni, M. Ruff, L. Wacker, A. S. H. Prévot, and U. Baltensperger, 2010
Radiocarbon, 52, 761-768.


Fossil versus contemporary sources of fine elemental and organic carbonaceous particulate matter during the DAURE campaign in Northeast Spain.
Minguillon, M. C., N. Perron, X. Querol, S. Szidat, S. M. Fahrni, A. Alastuey, J. L. Jimenez, C. Mohr, A. M. Ortega, D. A. Day, V. A. Lanz, L. Wacker, C. Reche, M. Cusack, F. Amato, G. Kiss, A. Hoffer, S. Decesari, F. Moretti, R. Hillamo, K. Teinilä¤, R. Seco, J. Peñuelas, A. Metzger, S. Schallhart, M. Müller, A. Hansel, J. F. Burkhart, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2011
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 11, 23573-23618.


On the isolation of OC and EC and the optimal strategy of radiocarbon-based source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosols.
Zhang, Y. L., N. Perron, V. G. Ciobanu, P. Zotter, M. C. Minguillón, L. Wacker, A. S. H. Prévôt, U. Baltensperger, and S. Szidat, 2012
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 10841-10856.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-12-10841-2012

Fossil and non-fossil sources of different carbonaceous fractions in fine and coarse particles by radiocarbon measurement.
Zhang, Y. L., P. Zotter, N. Perron, A. S. H. Prévôt, L. Wacker, and S. Szidat, 2013
Radiocarbon, 55,
DOI: 10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16278

Intercomparison of C-14 analysis of carbonaceous aerosols: exercise 2009.
Szidat, S., G. Bench, V. Bernardoni, G. Calzolai, C. I. Czimczik, L. Derendorp, U. Dusek, K. Elder, M. E. Fedi, J. Genberg, O. Gustafsson, E. Kirillova, M. Kondo, A. P. McNichol, N. Perron, G. M. Santos, K. Stenstrom, E. Swietlicki, M. Uchida, R. Vecchi, L. Wacker, Y. L. Zhang, and A. S. H. Prevot, 2013
Radiocarbon, 56, 561-566.
DOI: 10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16314

Radiocarbon-based source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosols at a regional background site on hainan island, South China.
Zhang, Y. L., J. Li, G. Zhang, P. Zotter, R. J. Huang, J. H. Tang, L. Wacker, A. S. Prevot, and S. Szidat, 2014
Environ. Sci. Technol., 48, 2651-9.
DOI: 10.1021/es4050852

Micro-scale (μg) radiocarbon analysis of water-soluble organic carbon in aerosol samples.
Zhang, Y.-l., J.-w. Liu, G. A. Salazar, J. Li, P. Zotter, G. Zhang, R.-r. Shen, K. Schäfer, J. Schnelle-Kreis, A. S. H. Prévôt, and S. Szidat, 2014
Atmos. Environ., 97, 1-5.
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.07.059

Diurnal cycle of fossil and non-fossil carbon using radiocarbon analyses during CalNex.
Zotter, P., I. El-Haddad, Y. Zhang, P. L. Hayes, X. Zhang, Y.-H. Lin, L. Wacker, J. Schnelle-Kreis, G. Abbaszade, R. Zimmermann, J. D. Surratt, R. Weber, J. L. Jimenez, S. Szidat, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2014
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, *2013JD021114.
DOI: 10.1002/2013JD021114

Radiocarbon analysis of elemental and organic carbon in Switzerland during winter-smog episodes from 2008 to 2012 – Part 1: Source apportionment and spatial variability.
Zotter, P., V. G. Ciobanu, Y. L. Zhang, I. El-Haddad, M. Macchia, K. R. Daellenbach, G. A. Salazar, R. J. Huang, L. Wacker, C. Hueglin, A. Piazzalunga, P. Fermo, M. Schwikowski, U. Baltensperger, S. Szidat, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2014
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 14, 15591-15643.
DOI: 10.5194/acpd-14-15591-2014Radiocarbon analysis of elemental and organic carbon in Switzerland during winter-smog episodes from 2008 to 2012 – Part 1: Source apportionment and spatial variability.*
Zotter, P., V. G. Ciobanu, Y. L. Zhang, I. El-Haddad, M. Macchia, K. R. Daellenbach, G. A. Salazar, R. J. Huang, L. Wacker, C. Hueglin, A. Piazzalunga, P. Fermo, M. Schwikowski, U. Baltensperger, S. Szidat, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2014
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 14, 15591-15643.
DOI: 10.5194/acpd-14-15591-2014

14C analysis and sample preparation at the new Bern Laboratory for the Analysis of Radiocarbon with AMS (LARA).
Szidat, S., G. A. Salazar, E. Vogel, M. Battaglia, L. Wacker, H.-A. Synal, and A. Türler, 2014
Radiocarbon, *
DOI: 10.2458/56.17457