Forensic dating of dental enamel with bomb-pulse radiocarbon

ANYL 165

Bruce A. Buchholz, buchholz2@llnl.gov1, Kirsty L. Spalding2, Lars-Eric Bergman3, Henrik Druid3, and Jonas Frisen2. (1) Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, LLNL, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551, (2) Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Medical Nobel Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, (3) Department of Forensic Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Determining the age of an individual is an important step in identification and a challenge in forensic medicine. The enamel of individual permanent teeth is formed at distinct, well-characterized time points during childhood. After formation, there is no turnover of enamel, and the 14C concentration reflects the level in the carbon sources at the time of enamel formation. Atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons doubled the global 14CO2 level between 1950 and 1963. After adoption of the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963, the level of atmospheric 14CO2 started to decrease. The 14C pulse moved up the food chain so that all living things are labeled with the pulse. The technique matched 14C content in enamel to known age to 1.6 ± 1.3 years in individual measurements. Variability can be attributed to inter-individual differences in tooth formation and possible variations in carbon food sources at the time of enamel formation.
 

General Papers
7:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Analytical Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006