Determination of black carbon by chemical oxidation and thermal treatment in recent marine and lake sediments and Cretaceous-Tertiary clays

Several sample treatments and analytical methods for the measurement of black carbon in a wide variety of sediments were considered in which the removal of organic carbon is a critical step in the procedure. A comparison between chemical oxidation and thermal treatment was conducted and the latter was shown to be inappropriate due to the polymerisation of organic matter. Using acid dichromate oxidation, reactive kerogen was separated from black carbon in a variety of lake and marine, and recent and ancient sediments with relatively small and quantifiable losses (1–6%) of black carbon under carefully controlled reaction conditions.