Oxidation of graphitic carbon in certain soils.

Artificial graphitic carbon-14 was oxidized to carbon-14 dioxide in the presence of certain nonsterile soils. Treatment of these soils for the inhibition of biologic activity, by several methods including 5 megarads of electron-beam irradiation, yielded much-less-reactive systems in the oxidation of carbon. Intervention of a biologic agent in some of these oxidative processes is suggested.