Radiochronology Laboratory

Radiocarbon dating is based on the principle of degradation of the radioactive isotope of carbon, 14C. Every organism lives in equilibrium with the concentration of ambient 14C throughout its life. Upon his death, the body stops ingesting carbon and the remaining 14C in its tissues disintegrates at a known rate. The laboratory is one of only two major producers of 14C dates in Canada, making approximately 800 14C dates per AMS per year. In addition to CEN researchers, it provides a service to the Canadian and international scientific community, governments and the private sector. Sample preparation for 14C dating by AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry). The samples are chemically cleaned, burned, transformed with CEN into CO2, the purified CO2 is transformed into graphite, which is sent to a laboratory with an AMS. We also now offer bone dating. The lab uses the Keck Carbon Cycle AMS Laboratory at the U. of California in Irvine and also the CAIS at the U. of Georgia. The lab also includes 2 HPGe counting systems for Pb-210 and Cs-237 dating and a Leco CHN628 elemental analyzer.