科研之友
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摘要
The atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons during the 1950s and early 1960s produced large amounts of radiocarbon. This C-14 bomb pulse provides useful age information in numerous scientific fields, e.g. in geosciences and environmental sciences. Bomb-pulse dating can also be used to date human material (e.g. in forensics and medical science). Bomb-pulse dating relies on precise measurements of the declining C-14 concentration in atmospheric carbon dioxide collected at clean-air sites. However, local variations in the C-14 specific activity of air and foodstuffs occur, which are caused by natural processes as well as by various human activities. As C-14 enters the human body mainly through the diet, variations of C-14 concentration in foodstuffs need to be considered. The marine component of the diet is believed to be of particular importance due to the non-equilibrium in C-14 specific activity between the atmosphere and aquatic reservoirs during the bomb pulse. This article reviews the C-14 concentration in marine foodstuffs during the bomb-pulse era, and models how the marine component in one's diet can affect the precision of bomb-pulse dating of human material.
- 出版日期2010
