Tracing fossil fuel CO2 by 14C in maize leaves in Guanzhong Basin of China

Shugang Wu; Weijian Zhou; Peng Cheng; Xiaohu Xiong; Jie Zhou; Tian Feng; Yaoyao Hou; Ning Chen; Peng Wang; Hua Du; Yunchong Fu; Xuefeng Lu

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116286

Tracing fossil fuel CO₂ by ¹⁴C in maize leaves in Guanzhong Basin of China

J Environ Manage. 2022 Dec 1:323:116286. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116286. Epub 2022 Sep 19.

Authors

Shugang Wu¹, Weijian Zhou², Peng Cheng³, Xiaohu Xiong², Jie Zhou⁴, Tian Feng⁵, Yaoyao Hou³, Ning Chen³, Peng Wang², Hua Du³, Yunchong Fu³, Xuefeng Lu³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China; Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Joint Xi'an AMS Center Between IEECAS and Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China; Guanzhong Plain Ecological Environment Change and Comprehensive Treatment National Observation and Research Station, Xi'an, 710061, China. Electronic address: wusg@ieecas.cn.
² State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China; Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Joint Xi'an AMS Center Between IEECAS and Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China; Guanzhong Plain Ecological Environment Change and Comprehensive Treatment National Observation and Research Station, Xi'an, 710061, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China; Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Joint Xi'an AMS Center Between IEECAS and Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
⁴ Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an, 710061, China.
⁵ Department of Geography & Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.

PMID: 36137457
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116286

Abstract

Quantifying fossil fuel CO₂ (CO_2ff) in the atmosphere provides a benchmark method to monitor anthropogenic carbon emissions. Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) in atmospheric CO_2ff has been widely studied using the ¹⁴C in plants to document regional CO_2ff patterns. However, annual CO_2ff variations, reflecting spatial distributions based on plant samples, are still scarce. In this paper, the spatial distribution and temporal CO_2ff changes in the Guanzhong Basin is established using Δ¹⁴C measurements from maize leaves collected in 2011 and 2012. With regard to spatial distribution, samples collected around Xi'an City showed lower Δ¹⁴C values (more CO_2ff), while sites located near the perimeter of the basin showed higher Δ¹⁴C values (less CO_2ff). This is likely due to the concentration of anthropogenic activities in the center of the Guanzhong Basin. The observed CO_2ff mole fractions generally matched with PKU CO₂ inventory and the ODIAC CO₂ inventory data in the spatial distribution trend. However, it seems that thermal power plants were not well captured by the PKU CO₂ inventory. Our results provide useful information for the improvement of the inventory and verification of regional carbon cycle models.

Keywords: (14)C; Fossil fuel CO(2); Guanzhong basin; Maize leaves; Spatial distribution.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Carbon
Carbon Dioxide / analysis
Carbon Radioisotopes
China
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Fossil Fuels* / analysis
Zea mays

Substances

Air Pollutants
Carbon
Carbon Dioxide
Fossil Fuels
Carbon Radioisotopes