Open AccessQuantifying Carbon-14 for Biology Using Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy
Author(s) -
A. Daniel McCartt,
Ted Ognibene,
Graham Bench,
Kenneth W. Turteltaub
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
analytical chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.117
H-Index - 332
eISSN - 1520-6882
pISSN - 0003-2700
DOI - 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b02054
Subject(s) - carbon fibers , cavity ring down spectroscopy , chemistry , carbon 14 , detection limit , spectroscopy , mass spectrometry , tracer , carbon cycle , accelerator mass spectrometry , ring (chemistry) , analytical chemistry (journal) , biological system , environmental chemistry , chromatography , ecology , algorithm , computer science , physics , organic chemistry , ecosystem , nuclear physics , composite number , quantum mechanics , biology
A cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) instrument was developed using mature, robust hardware for the measurement of carbon-14 in biological studies. The system was characterized using carbon-14 elevated glucose samples and returned a linear response up to 387 times contemporary carbon-14 concentrations. Carbon-14 free and contemporary carbon-14 samples with varying carbon-13 concentrations were used to assess the method detection limit of approximately one-third contemporary carbon-14 levels. Sources of inaccuracies are presented and discussed, and the capability to measure carbon-14 in biological samples is demonstrated by comparing pharmacokinetics from carbon-14 dosed guinea pigs analyzed by both CRDS and accelerator mass spectrometry. The CRDS approach presented affords easy access to powerful carbon-14 tracer techniques that can characterize complex biochemical systems.