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2022

Principle of Carbon-14 Measurement for Determining Biobased Carbon Content

Author:SATISFY

Currently, three main standards are used to determine the bio-based content. Depending on the standard employed, the resulting value (the bio-based proportion) may vary significantly. Therefore, it is important to understand these standards and the distinctions among the various concepts of “bio-based.”

In short, these methods can be broadly categorized into two types: biomass‑based approaches (the biomass method) and bio‑based organic carbon‑based approaches (the carbon method).

The following section briefly explains how the bio-based content is calculated. For reference, please see the standard definitions and the corresponding regions illustrated in the figure below.

Standard EN 16785-1( Biomass method )

EN 16785-1 Bio-based products - Bio-based content - Part 1: Determination of the bio-based content using the radiocarbon analysis and elemental analysis

EN 16785-1 Bio-based matrix products. Bio-based content. Determination of bio-based content using radiocarbon analysis and elemental analysis.

The relationship between the biomass fraction (zones 2 and 4) and the total dry mass of the product (zones 1 through 5). The biomass fraction is calculated based on the detailed specifications of all components of the product. The theoretically derived values are validated by radiocarbon analysis to assess the relationship between the biomass carbon fraction (zone 2) and the total carbon content of the product (zones 1, 2, and 3).

Standard ASTM D6866( Organic Carbon Method )

ASTM D6866 Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis

ASTM D6866 Standard Test Method for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples by Radiocarbon Analysis

The relationship between the proportion of biobased organic carbon (Zone 2) and the total organic carbon content of the product (Zones 1 and 2). The proportion of biobased organic carbon is determined by radiocarbon analysis. This method does not require detailed information on all constituent components.

Standard EN 16640( Total Carbon Method )

EN 16640 Bio-based products - Bio-based carbon content - Determination of the bio-based carbon content using the radiocarbon method

EN 16640 Bio-based products – Biochar content – Determination of biochar content using radiocarbon dating

The relationship between the proportion of bio-based organic carbon (Zone 2) and the total carbon content of the product (Zones 1, 2, and 3). The proportion of bio-based organic carbon is determined by radiocarbon analysis. This method does not require detailed information on all constituent components.

Bio-based carbon and fossil-based carbon

Organic carbon can be either bio-based or fossil-based. Bio-based carbon originates from renewable resources, including natural plant materials derived from forests, agricultural fields, or aquatic environments, as well as residues and wastes from the agriculture and food industries, such as slaughterhouse by-products. Fossil-based carbon, on the other hand, comes from non-renewable resources like petroleum, coal, or natural gas.

From a technical standpoint, it is feasible to determine the percentage of organic carbon derived from biogenic versus fossil sources. To accomplish this, one must employ a method known as radiocarbon analysis, which is similar to the technique used to date archaeological artifacts.

What is radiocarbon dating, and how does it work?

Radiocarbon dating determines the age of objects containing organic material by measuring the amount of carbon‑14 (¹⁴C), a radioactive isotope of carbon, in the sample.

Before testing, the sample must be processed and converted into a form suitable for measurement. Currently, the most common method is accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), which directly measures the ratios of 14C to 12C atoms in the sample.

AMS equipment for carbon-14 dating

When an organism dies, its uptake of new 14C from the environment ceases. Because 14C is unstable and decays into 12C at a constant rate, the decline of 14C can be converted into the time elapsed since the organism’s death. The same principle applies to several other materials and products. One example is biodiesel, which is a blend of petroleum‑based diesel and diesel derived from organic matter such as wood. Using this approach, it is possible to quantify “modern carbon” (MC)—the portion of carbon in the diesel that originates from recently harvested trees, as opposed to carbon sourced from petroleum.

Carbon 14(14C) Where did it come from, and where was it discovered?

14C They are continuously produced in the atmosphere, primarily by cosmic rays originating from the Milky Way and, to a lesser extent, by solar cosmic rays. As these cosmic rays traverse the atmosphere, the neutrons they generate can collide with nitrogen‑14 (¹⁴N) atoms, converting them into ¹⁴C. In this way, while ¹⁴C undergoes radioactive decay, new ¹⁴C is continually formed, maintaining a relatively constant concentration of ¹⁴C in the atmosphere.

14C It is transferred from the atmosphere into the oceans and the Earth. Consequently, it is virtually ubiquitous wherever living organisms exist. Through photosynthesis and chemosynthesis, organisms incorporate 14C via carbon fixation—a process in which inorganic carbon (typically in the form of carbon dioxide) is converted into organic compounds. In this way, all living organisms maintain a relatively constant level of 14C. When an organism dies and its biochemical processes cease, no new 14C is incorporated; instead, as 14C decays into 12C, its concentration declines at a steady rate. The half-life of 14C is approximately 5,730 years, meaning that after this period has elapsed, half of the original 14C has been transformed into 12C. Ultimately, after more than 50,000 years, virtually no 14C remains in dead organic matter.

Carbon-14 Content vs. Time Graph

SATISFY offer a one-stop service for bio-based testing and USDA BioPreferred certification, encompassing preliminary assessments, preparation and submission of relevant documentation, end-to-end monitoring of the testing and certification process, guidance on compliant labeling, and post‑certification follow-up.