Methods and apparatus for reducing carbon 14 in living tissue
OwnerFred N. Miekka, Peter William Mackieinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is provided for growing plants in an environment having air containing carbon dioxide which is lower in carbon 14 content than under normal ambient conditions. Such plants grown under these conditions have a lower concentration of carbon 14 and therefore their natural radioactivity will be reduced. The process involves controlling of the source of carbon dioxide used by the plants as one derived from carbon compounds of very low carbon 14 content. Such sources include but are not limited to limestone and fossil fuels. Such plant material can be used to make articles traceable to the process, or alternatively certain plants can be grown for human or animal consumption to reduce the overall radioactive body burden of carbon 14.
Claims18
A method for growing plants having a low carbon 14 content, the plants being grown in a greenhouse, the method comprising the steps of:
- removing carbon dioxide from an air supply;
- producing carbon dioxide which is lower in carbon 14 concentration than said removed carbon dioxide;
- adding said produced carbon dioxide to said air supply;
- and
- introducing said modified air supply into the greenhouse.
A method for growing plants having a low carbon 14 content, the plants being grown in a greenhouse, the method comprising the steps of:
- removing carbon dioxide from the greenhouse;
- producing carbon dioxide which is lower in carbon 14 concentration than said removed carbon dioxide;
- adding said produced carbon dioxide to a water supply;
- and
- introducing said water supply into the greenhouse.
A method of controlling the environment in a greenhouse, comprising the steps of:
- removing carbon dioxide from an air supply, said removed carbon dioxide having a carbon 14 concentration;
- producing carbon dioxide which has a carbon 14 concentration lower than that of said removed carbon dioxide;
- adding said produced carbon dioxide to said air supply to yield a modified air supply;
- and
- introducing said modified air supply into the greenhouse.
Apparatus for growing plants, comprising:
- a ventilated structure having an inner space;
- and
- a system including a carbon dioxide generator for generating carbon dioxide with a low concentration of carbon 14, said system introducing said produced carbon dioxide into said inner space of said structure;
- said system further including a canister for removing carbon dioxide from ambient air outside of said structure and for providing said carbon dioxide-removed air to said carbon dioxide generator.
A method of controlling the environment in a structure, the environment having carbon dioxide containing carbon 14, the method comprising the steps of:
- reducing the level of ambient carbon dioxide in the environment;
- introducing carbon dioxide with a low carbon 14 concentration to the environment in the structure;
- removing carbon dioxide from ambient air outside of the structure;
- and
- providing said carbon dioxide-removed air to the environment in the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.