Problems Associated with the Use of Coal As a Source of14C-Free Background Material

Abstract

Many14C dating laboratories have established that coal samples exhibit a finite14C 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 for14C dating laboratories. Initial results indicate that geologically formed graphites contain little14C and are likely to be good background test materials, especially in14C AMS laboratories.