EN ISO 13833 Determination of Biomass and Fossil Carbon Dioxide Content - Radiocarbon Sampling

The standard “EN ISO 13833 Stationary source emissions - Determination of biomass (biogenic) and fossil-source carbon dioxide ratio - Radiocarbon sampling and determination,” developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and later published as a European standard within the scope of harmonization efforts, describes sampling and analysis methods for determining the ratio of biomass and fossil-source carbon dioxide in exhaust gases from stationary sources based on the radiocarbon (14C isotope) method. The lower limit of application is a biogenic/total carbon dioxide ratio of 0,02. The working range is between 0,02 and 1,0 for the biogenic/total carbon dioxide ratio.

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• Biogenic: This means produced by living organisms through natural processes but not fossilized or derived from fossil sources.
• Biomass: Refers to material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations or fossilized material.
• Isotope abundance: The ratio of atoms of a particular isotope of an element.
• Organic carbon: The amount of carbon bound in an organic material.
• Modern carbon percentage: This is a normalized and standardized value for the amount of the 14C isotope in the sample. The oxalic acid standard reference material was calculated based on the standardized and normalized amount of the 14C isotope.

The EN ISO 13833 standard defines procedures for determining how much of the carbon dioxide emitted from a stationary source originates from biomass and how much from fossil fuels. It uses radiocarbon (14C) analysis to distinguish between biogenic and fossil carbon sources.

Many industrial facilities burn mixed fuels that include both renewable biomass and fossil-based materials. Examples include:

• Waste incineration plants
• Cement kilns
• Energy plants that operate in conjunction with biomass.
• Industrial boilers
• Refineries that use alternative fuels

When these facilities emit carbon dioxide, regulators and carbon markets need to know how much of the emissions come from renewable biomass and how much comes from fossil fuels. The EN ISO 13833 standard provides a standardized method for making this determination accurately.

The described method is based on the measurement of the radioactive carbon isotope carbon-14 (14C). Living plants continuously absorb atmospheric carbon, including naturally occurring carbon-14. Therefore, biomass contains measurable amounts of carbon-14.

Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are millions of years old. Their original carbon-14 has completely decayed, leaving virtually no detectable carbon-14. Laboratories can calculate the percentage of carbon-14 by measuring the concentration of carbon-14 in the carbon dioxide released in the exhaust gas stream.

• Biogenic carbon dioxide
• Fossil carbon dioxide

The EN ISO 13833 standard specifies the following:

• Sampling procedures for exhaust gases from stationary emission sources.
• Sample preparation requirements
• Radiocarbon analysis methods
• Calculation procedures
• Quality assurance and quality control requirements
• Reporting requirements for results

This standard applies to biogenic carbon dioxide fractions ranging from 2 percent to 100 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions.

The EN ISO 13833 standard provides guidance for integrated sampling intervals within the following ranges:

• 1 hours
• A few hours
• Daily sampling
• Weekly sampling
• Monthly sampling

This flexibility allows operators to obtain representative examples under different working conditions.

The EN ISO 13833 standard defines various methods for measuring carbon-14 content:

• Accelerator mass spectrometry:
  • It is extremely sensitive.
  • It has high precision.
  • It is widely used in environmental measurements.
• Liquid scintillation count:
  • It measures radioactive decay events.
  • Suitable for many laboratory applications.
• Beta ionization measurement:
  • It detects beta radiation emitted by carbon-14 decay.
  • There is an established method for radiocarbon analysis.

All three methods can be used to determine the biogenic fraction of carbon dioxide emitted.

Typical applications of this standard include:

• Waste-to-energy plants: Municipal waste includes both biomass materials (paper, wood, food waste) and fossil-based materials (plastics). This standard determines the renewable share of emissions.
• Cement industry: Alternative fuels used in cement kilns typically contain a mix of renewable and fossil components. This standard helps to accurately measure fossil-derived carbon dioxide emissions.
• Biomass power plants: Verify the renewable carbon content of fuel streams and support sustainability claims.
• Emission trading systems: Provide reliable data for greenhouse gas reporting and carbon accounting.

The advantages of the EN ISO 13833 standard are as follows:

• It is an internationally accepted methodology.
• It enables direct measurement of biogenic carbon.
• Suitable for mixed fuel combustion systems.
• It supports greenhouse gas inventories.
• It improves the accuracy of carbon accounting.
• It provides verification for renewable energy claims.
• It supports emissions trading and compliance with regulations.

The EN ISO 13833 standard is important because it provides a standardized and scientifically reliable method for determining the ratio of biogenic (renewable) carbon dioxide to fossil-sourced carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources. This distinction is becoming increasingly critical for environmental compliance, carbon accounting, and sustainability reporting.

This standard is important for the following reasons:

• It supports accurate greenhouse gas reporting.
• It ensures compliance with climate regulations.
• Carbon trading and carbon tax increase accuracy.
• It confirms renewable energy claims.
• It uses a highly reliable scientific principle.
• This is important for waste-to-energy plants.
• It supports corporate sustainability goals.
• It ensures international consistency.

In short, the EN ISO 13833 standard provides the following:

• Comparable results across countries.
• Consistent testing procedures
• Reliable laboratory practices
• More trust in reported data.

In conclusion, the EN ISO 13833 standard is an important environmental standard that enables the accurate determination of carbon dioxide emissions from biomass and fossil fuel sources. Using radiocarbon (14C) analysis, it provides reliable data for carbon accounting, emissions trading, regulatory reporting, and verification of renewable energy use, making it a crucial tool in modern greenhouse gas management.

For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its clients, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting them in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services compliant with the EN ISO 13833 standard.