A Simplified Scintillation-counting Technique for assaying ¹⁴CO₂ in a Warburg Flask

Abstract

AVAILABLE methods for assaying ¹⁴CO₂ in Warburg flasks are of two types. The first¹ involves trapping liberated ¹⁴CO₂ with an organic base, which makes it possible to count efficiently, but at the cost of a rather cumbersome procedure. Trapping with filter paper moistened with sodium hydroxide² or potassium hydroxide^3,4 provides a convenient method but with some loss of efficiency. The procedure described here is based on the use of a solvent system described by Belcher⁵ that will accommodate up to 3 per cent of a 25 per cent aqueous potassium hydroxide solution with only 3 per cent quenching.