CHEMISTRY STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIC C-14 SAMPLES

Pretreatment of organic samples can be achieved by removal of contamin ants, or, alternatively, by isolation of sample-specific components, w e discuss the molecular aspects of these two pretreatment types, toget her with an assessment of their effectiveness in relation to sample ty pe. The main division in sample type is the one between carbohydrates and proteins, leading to opposite chemical strategies for the two samp le categories. Recommendations for routine C-14 chemistry of organic s amples also include the standardization of quality screening procedure s using chemical, stable isotope and elemental data that can be collec ted routinely during the pretreatment of each sample.