14C and 13C geochemistry are powerful tools for soil sciences. By being able to quantify the recent incorporation of atmosphere derived carbon and the loss of soil carbon associated to priming effect, both isotopes are keys to solve unknowns in soil carbon dynamics and to evaluate new agronomical practices.
By combining these tools, it is possible to distinguish between sustainable agronomic solutions (effective storage of carbon over several decades) and false good ideas that ultimately contribute to loss of carbon that was out of the active carbon cycle and no longer contributed to the GHG cycle.
Furthermore, in the 4permil initiative context, looking at only carbon content (TOC) does not allow us to follow the small carbon content shifts induced by landuse changes. Soil is too heterogeneous. Carbon isotopes can as they show much less heterogeneity than carbon content.

The Division of Geochronology and Environmental Isotopes of Gliwice operates stable isotope mass spectrometer and is welcoming now a MICADAS. This equipement is the most powerful instrument for measuring 14C isotopes. It will be the first of this kind in Poland. It completes a full installation dedicated to 14C measurements that has existed since the 1970s, the almost beginning of 14C in the world. The MICADAS is here, still in boxes and will be installed very quickly. This kind of technology is very robust and this makes it operational very quickly. Next automn, everything will be set up and ready to work for this project. Our instruments are able to run large series of samples and even for poor soil.