14C of grasses as an indicator of fossil fuel CO2 pollution

Eric Lichtfouse (1) , Michel Lichtfouse , Michaele Kashgarian , Roland Bol

1 ASD - Agronomy for Sustainable Development

Measuring the amount of fossil fuel carbon stored in the vegetation is now crucial to understand the mechanisms ruling climate changes. In this respect, highly polluted areas such as major towns represent "natural" laboratories because fossil fuel CO2 (14C-free) is isotopically distinct from mean atmospheric CO2 (14C-labeled). Here, a 14C study of urban grasses near a major highway in Paris, France, shows that plants store up to 13% of fossil fuel carbon. 14C composition of urban grasses is thus a novel parameter to assess the fossil fuel CO2 pollution.

Mots clés: CO2; 14C; fossil fuel pollution; grass; climate change

Domaines: Science des sols; Chimie analytique; Milieux et Changements globaux; Sciences agricoles

Eric Lichtfouse, Michel Lichtfouse, Michaele Kashgarian, Roland Bol. 14C of grasses as an indicator of fossil fuel CO2 pollution. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2005, 3, pp.78-81. ⟨10.1007/s10311-005-0100-4⟩. ⟨hal-00174375⟩