Characterisation of combustion-derived CO2 emissions using Δ17O and 14C at the Southern Ring Road of Groningen, the Netherlands

Reus Bennàssar, Jaume (2025) Characterisation of combustion-derived CO2 emissions using Δ17O and 14C at the Southern Ring Road of Groningen, the Netherlands. Bachelor's Thesis, Physics.

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Abstract

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, primarily from fossil fuel combustion, are a major driver of climate change. Given the strong urgency to mitigate these emissions, accurately tracing them becomes essential for understanding carbon and climate dynamics. This study investigates the potential of triple oxygen isotope composition (Δ17O) in atmospheric CO2 as a tracer for combustion-driven anthropogenic emissions, using samples collected in the tunnel system of the Southern Ring Road of Groningen, the Netherlands. The samples were analysed for CO2, CH4 and CO mole fraction using ring-down cavity spectroscopy and gas chromatography; δ13C, δ18O, δ17O and Δ17O using optical spectroscopy, and Δ14C using accelerator mass spectroscopy. The established tracers used (δ13C, Δ14C and CO) indicate a dominant combustion source. However, the Δ17O signal displayed significant variability and only weak correlations with CO2 and fossil fuel CO2 (FFCO2) mole fractions. Source attribution using a Miller-Tans plot yielded a combustion signature of Δ17O ranging from –0.3±0.2‰ to –0.8±0.4‰ depending on the measurement date selection, but the significance of the fitting remained low across plots, with a relatively high uncertainty. These findings suggest that while a variation in the Δ17O signature could be observed, further work is needed to improve its reliability and reduce the noise-to-signal ratio. The study also suggests methodological improvements such as an increased sample size...

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis)
Supervisor name:	Meijer, H.A.J. and Dusek, U.
Degree programme:	Physics
Thesis type:	Bachelor's Thesis
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2025 12:12
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2025 12:12
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/35945

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