Determination of carbon-14 in seafood by tube furnace oxidation combustion and liquid scintillation counting method
Objective To investigate the method of tube furnace oxidation combustion and liquid scintillation counting for the determination of carbon-14 in seafood,and to provide technical support for the monitoring of carbon-14 in seafood.Methods By studying the pyrolysis characteristics of five types of dried seafood samples,including yellow croaker,white shrimp,swimming crab,clam,and seaweed,a temperature control program suitable for the oxidation combustion of seafood was established.The combustion efficiency,carbon element recovery rate,and the accuracy and precision of the method were determined.Results The combustion efficiency was more than 98%for most seafood using the recommended com-bustion program.The recovery rate of carbon was similar to that calculated by glucose combustion;both were more than 95%.Four laboratories validated the accuracy of the method by measuring the carbon-14 activity concentration in the Chinese sugar carbon standard material.The relative errors ranged from 1.03%to 3.41%and the average relative error was 2.36%.The precision of this method was verified by measuring the carbon-14 activity concentration in yellow croaker samples.The within-laboratory relative standard deviation ranged from 5.11%to 9.35%and the between-laboratories relat-ive standard deviation was 4.04%.Conclusion The tube furnace oxidation combustion and liquid scintillation counting method was used to determine the activity concentration of carbon-14 in seafood.The recommended oxidation combustion program is more targeted and less time-consuming.The accuracy and precision of this method meet the requirements.This method is suitable for the determination of carbon-14 in seafood.
SeafoodCarbon-14Tube furnace oxidation combustion and liquid scintillation counting methodCombus-tion efficiencyRecovery