Quality Assurance
The SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory has a complete manual of Quality Assurance procedures covering all aspects of the dating process, from receipt of samples through pre-treatment and sample preparation to age calculation and the reporting of results.
The laboratory takes part in all international inter-calibration studies and SUERC/Glasgow University has been involved in the organisation of almost all major international studies held during the last 30 years.
Samples prepared by the lab are measured at the SUERC AMS Laboratory using either the National Electrostatic Corporation 5 MV tandem AMS or 250 kV single-stage AMS. In each batch measured, approximately 30% of samples are for Quality Assurance purposes.
In addition to a significant number of primary standards (Oxalic Acid II - SRM-4990C), background standards (interglacial wood, Marine Isotope Stage 7 bone and geological carbonate) and known age secondary standards are also synthesised to graphite and measured.
Table 1 below illustrates the consensus results for two known age samples used in international inter-comparisons alongside the average results from our routine analyses during 2024.
Table 2 shows the average laboratory background measurement for the same period.
Further details of the laboratory methods and QA procedure can be found in Dunbar et al. (2016).
Table 1: Known age secondary standards
| Consensus value (± 1σ) |
SUERC mean value (± 1σ) 2025 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Barley Mash TIRI sample A (2003) |
116.35 ± 0.0084 pMC | 116.51 ± 0.38 pMC a |
| Humic Acid SIRI sample N (2015) |
3369 ± 4 years BP | 3369 ± 23 years BP b |
| a Based on 206 measurements in 2025 b Based on 463 measurements in 2025 |
||
Table 2: Laboratory background values
| SUERC mean F14C value (± 1σ) 2025 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Interglacial wood (organic, non-bone) |
0.0013 ± 0.0004 a | |
| Icelandic doublespar (carbonate) TIRI sample F (2003) |
0.0014 ± 0.0002 b | |
| Background Bone | 0.0028 ± 0.0009 c | |
| a 245 measurements b 8 measurements c 49 measurements | ||
Dr Elaine Dunbar
SUERC Deputy Director, Senior Research Scientist, Head of SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Dr Kerry Sayle
Research Scientist, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Dr Kieran Tierney
Research Associate, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory / Environmental Systems Modelling Group
Dr Brian Tripney
Associate Research Scientist, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Ciaran Carruthers
Technician, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Linzi Straub
Technician, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Kerrie-Anne Kelly
Technician, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Helen Kinch
Technician, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
Adam Tobasnick
Technician, SUERC Radiocarbon Laboratory
