Biogenic Testing of CO2 Emissions
Measuring % Biogenic Carbon versus % Fossil Carbon in carbon dioxide emissions
Biogenic carbon testing uses Carbon-14 technology to determine the biomass-based vs. fossil fraction of stack gas carbon dioxide (CO2). Since carbon-14 is only present in living or recently expired material, Carbon-14 testing using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is the most effective method to determine the percentage of biogenic vs. fossil-derived carbon in the total emitted CO2 from exhaust gases of stationary sources. This test is particularly useful to energy-intensive industries since Carbon-14 analysis of their CO2 emissions overcomes representativity issues arising from sampling heterogeneous waste-derived fuels.
What does “biogenic” mean?
Biogenic is defined by the ASTM D6866-24 analytical standard as containing carbon (organic and inorganic) of renewable origin like agricultural, plant, animal, fungi, microorganisms, macroorganisms, marine, or forestry materials.
Quantify the Biogenic Content of CO2 Emissions by Carbon-14 Analysis
- Comply with greenhouse gas protocols and carbon emissions trading
- Reach your decarbonization and net-zero goals
- Obtain precise and accurate data instead of estimating biogenic fraction of emissions or using acid dissolution test, both of which can be less accurate than the C14 method.
Biogenic Testing Reporting Standards
- ASTM D6866
- ISO 13833
- Biogenic content percentage is expressed as a fraction of total carbon of the emissions.
Beta Analytic’s Biogenic Content Testing Services
- Standard Service – results are reported in 7 business days or less
- Priority Service – 4 business days or less
Ready to submit samples for testing?
Read our guidelines.
For reliable, accurate and fast biogenic testing solutions, choose Beta Analytic.
You might also be interested in:
What is Carbon-Neutral CO2?
US EPA Mandatory Reporting Rule endorses ASTM D6866 testing
EN ISO 21644 testing under the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme
Page last updated: January 2024