A Suitable procedure for preparing of water samples used in radiocarbon intercomparison

Takahashi, Hiroshi*; Minami, Masayo*; Aramaki, Takafumi*; Handa, Hiroko*; Kokubu, Yoko   ; Ito, Shigeru*; Kumamoto, Yuichiro*

Water sample for interlaboratory comparison (here after "comparison water") must have inalterable C concentration during the comparison campaign and inter-batches homogeneity. In this study, the procedure for preparing of comparison water was discussed. We employed that comparison waters were artificially made by mixing chemical reagents, controlling C concentration and chemical composition. We could prepare six comparison waters, having 1, 14, 37, 56, 72 and 100 pMC, respectively. The stable carbon isotopic values and chemical compositions of some batches were measured to exanimate the inter- batches homogeneity. The C discrepancies among the batches were negligible for the inter-laboratory comparison. Finally, the results of trial comparison in Japan will be presented. Most of C results of CO extracted by six laboratories showed good agreements each other.