Accelerator mass spectrometry best practices for accuracy and precision in bioanalytical 14C measurements

Accelerator mass spectrometers have an energy acceleration and charge exchange between mass definition stages to destroy molecular isobars and allow single ion counting of long-lived isotopes such as 14C (t½=5370 years.).‘Low’ voltage accelerations to 200 kV allow laboratory-sized accelerator mass spectrometers instruments for bioanalytical quantitation of 14C to 2–3% precision and accuracy in isolated biochemical fractions. After demonstrating this accuracy and precision for our new accelerator mass spectrometer, we discuss the critical aspects of maintaining quantitative accuracy from the defined biological fraction to the accelerator mass spectrometry quantitation. These aspects include sufficient sample mass for routine rapid sample preparation, isotope...