Anthropogenic 14C Variations

Continuous 14C data of 1 or 2 weekly samples of atmospheric CO2 are presented, collected near two nuclear power plants (NPP-Biblis and NPP-Philippsburg) located in the rather densely populated upper Rhine valley. Tree-leaf and tree-ring samples from the area of a boiling water reactor in northern Germany (NPP-Würgassen) are also presented and discussed. Additional atmospheric 14CO2 samples from two continental ‘clean-air’ stations in Germany and Austria were used as reference for the polluted areas. For January 1982, these samples yield a ‘clean-air’ 14C concentration in central Europe of Δ14C=255±5‰ (7.7pCi/gC = 1.45pCi/m3 air).