Overview
ISO 13833:2013 - "Stationary source emissions - Determination of the ratio of biomass (biogenic) and fossil-derived carbon dioxide - Radiocarbon sampling and determination" specifies methods to sample and analyse CO2 from stationary source exhausts using the radiocarbon (14C) method. The standard defines sampling strategies, sample preparation, radiocarbon measurement procedures and calculation routines to determine the biogenic vs. fossil CO2 fraction. The lower limit of application is a biogenic-to-total CO2 fraction of 0.02 and the working range is 0.02 to 1.0.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and limits: Radiocarbon (14C) based determination of biogenic/fossil CO2 in stack gas; working range 0.02–1.0 pmC-derived fraction.
- Sampling methods: Flow-proportional sampling, grab gas sampling (gas bags, canisters, bottles) and absorption sampling (liquid alkaline media such as KOH/NaOH or solid absorbers). Use excess alkaline capacity to ensure complete CO2 absorption.
- Sample handling: Gastight storage to prevent atmospheric CO2 ingress; representative sample preparation and test-portion definition.
- Measurement techniques: Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), liquid scintillation counting (LSC), and beta‑ionization (BI / gas proportional counter). Different techniques have different sample-volume and detection requirements.
- Calculation and reporting: Determination of percentage modern carbon (pmC) and calculation of the biogenic CO2 ratio (r) from measured 14C; annexes provide equations and worked examples.
- Quality assurance: Procedures for QA/QC, lower limit of detection (LLD), blank corrections, counting efficiencies and uncertainty reporting.
- Normative content and annexes: Normative procedures for AMS (Annex A), LSC (Annex B), BI (Annex C) and informative performance/definitions (Annexes D–E).
Practical applications
- Carbon accounting and emissions trading: Quantifying renewable (biogenic) CO2 for inventories and carbon markets.
- Fuel mix verification: Determining biogenic share when combusting mixtures (e.g., solid recovered fuel, SRF) where fuel composition is uncertain.
- Regulatory monitoring: Compliance testing for power plants, waste-to-energy, cement kilns and industrial boilers.
- Laboratory analysis and certification: Reference method for environmental laboratories performing 14C-based source apportionment.
Who uses this standard
- Environmental laboratories and AMS/LSC/BI facilities
- Plant operators, emissions consultants and auditors
- Regulators, policy makers and carbon market participants
- Researchers and quality assurance teams in emissions monitoring
Related standards and notes
- Normative references: ISO 7934, ISO 10396, ISO 15713 (sampling and gas analysis standards).
- ISO notes the possible existence of patents related to the radiocarbon method; users are advised to consult ISO’s patents database. Patent holders mentioned include the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA) and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN).
Keywords: ISO 13833:2013, radiocarbon, 14C, biogenic CO2, fossil CO2, stationary source emissions, sampling, AMS, liquid scintillation, beta-ionization, percentage modern carbon (pmC), stack gas.
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