Aube storage center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. Annual report 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-06-01

The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2010 activity report of the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety and radiation protection, events or incidents, environmental monitoring, wastes management, public information, recommendations of the Health and safety Committee (CHSCT)

Neutron-captures in Low Mass Stars and the Early Solar System Record of Short-lived Radioactivities

Science.gov (United States)

Busso, Maurizio; Vescovi, Diego; Trippella, Oscar; Palmerini, Sara; Cristallo, Sergio; Piersanti, Luciano

2018-01-01

Noticeable improvements were recently introduced in the modelling of n-capture nucleosynthesis in the advanced evolutionary stages of giant stars (Asymptotic Giant Branch, or AGB, stars). Two such improvements are closely linked together and concern the introduction of non-parameterized, physical models for extended mixing processes and the adoption of accurate reaction rates for H- and He-burning reactions, including the one for the main neutron source 13C(α,n)16O. These improvements profited of a longstanding collaboration between stellar physicists and C. Spitaleri's team and of his seminal work both as a leader in the Nuclear Astrophysics scenario and as a talent-scout in the recruitment of young researchers in the field. We present an example of the innovative results that can be obtained thanks to the novelties introduced, by estimating the contributions from a nearby AGB star to the synthesis of short-lived (t1/2 ≤ 10 Myr) radioactive nuclei which were alive in early Solar System condensates. We find that the scenario indicating an AGB star as the source of such radioactivities, discussed for many years by researchers in this field, appears now to be no longer viable, when the mentioned improvements of AGB models and nuclear parameters are considered.

Radioactivity a very short introduction

CERN Document Server

Tuniz, Claudio

2012-01-01

Radioactivity: A Very Short Introduction explains radioactivity and discusses its fundamental role in nature. Radioactivity remains misunderstood and feared perhaps because nuclear radiation cannot be detected by human senses, and can undoubtedly do great harm if appropriate precautions are not taken. Radioactivity in the stars and in the Earth and its wide range of applications in biomedicine, science, industry, agriculture are described, as well as the mechanisms of nuclear fission and fusion, and the harnessing of nuclear power. The issues surrounding safety and security and the increasing concerns about nuclear terrorism are also considered.

An example of capturing a hotspot of man-made radioactive 152Eu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Mingkao; Fang Jiangqi; Gu Renkang

2002-01-01

The author presents an example of successfully capturing a hotspot of man-made radioactive 152 Eu in Dayuan when the authors carried out airborne survey for radioactivity levels in north China. The hotspot was on the front of the gate of a concrete pipe factory in Dayuan. The activity of the source was estimated roughly 4.25 x 10 8 -7.53 x 10 8 Bq. The longitudinal positioning error was less than 15 m

Characterization of long-lived radioactive dust clouds generated in uranium mill operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigu, J.

1987-01-01

The characteristics of long-lived radioactive dust clouds generated in several mechanical and physico-chemical operations in a uranium mill have been investigated. The study consisted of the determination of dust size distribution, and of the radionuclides contained in the particles of each dimension class ranging from <0.1 to 26 μm in diameter. Experiments were conducted using several cascade impactors operating at different sample flow rates. Two different types of cascade impactors were used. Radionuclide identification was done using α-spectrometry and γ-spectrometry. Long-lived and short-lived radionuclides were identified in dust samples. The characteristics of the dust clouds depended on the mill operation. The following operations were studied: crushing (vibrating grizzly, jaw crusher, cone crusher); screening; ore transportation; grinding; acid leaching; counter-current decantation; yellowcake precipitation and drying; and yellowcake packaging. In addition, other dust and radioactivity measurements have been carried out

Production of exotic, short lived carbon isotopes in ISOL-type facilities

CERN Document Server

Franberg, Hanna; Köster, Ulli; Ammann, Markus

2008-01-01

The beam intensities of short-lived carbon isotopes at Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) facilities have been limited in the past for technical reasons. The production of radioactive ion beams of carbon isotopes is currently of high interest for fundamental nuclear physics research. To produce radioactive ions a target station consisting of a target in a container connected to an ion source via a transfer line is commonly used. The target is heated to vaporize the product for transport. Carbon in elementary form is a very reactive element and react strongly with hot metal surfaces. Due to the strong chemisorption interaction, in the target and ion source unit, the atoms undergo significant retention on their way from the target to the ion source. Due to this the short lived isotopes decays and are lost leading to low ion yields. A first approach to tackle these limitations consists of incorporating the carbon atoms into less reactive molecules and to use materials for the target housing and the transfer line ...

Precision Gamma-Ray Branching Ratios for Long-Lived Radioactive Nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonchev, Anton [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-10-19

Many properties of the high-energy-density environments in nuclear weapons tests, advanced laser-fusion experiments, the interior of stars, and other astrophysical bodies must be inferred from the resulting long-lived radioactive nuclei that are produced. These radioactive nuclei are most easily and sensitively identified by studying the characteristic gamma rays emitted during decay. Measuring a number of decays via detection of the characteristic gamma-rays emitted during the gamma-decay (the gamma-ray branching ratio) of the long-lived fission products is one of the most straightforward and reliable ways to determine the number of fissions that occurred in a nuclear weapon test. The fission products ¹⁴⁷Nd, ¹⁴⁴Ce, ¹⁵⁶Eu, and certain other long-lived isotopes play a crucial role in science-based stockpile stewardship, however, the large uncertainties (about 8%) on the branching ratios measured for these isotopes are currently limiting the usefulness of the existing data [1,2]. We performed highly accurate gamma-ray branching-ratio measurements for a group of high-atomic-number rare earth isotopes to greatly improve the precision and reliability with which the fission yield and reaction products in high-energy-density environments can be determined. We have developed techniques that take advantage of new radioactive-beam facilities, such as DOE's CARIBU located at Argonne National Laboratory, to produce radioactive samples and perform decay spectroscopy measurements. The absolute gamma-ray branching ratios for ¹⁴⁷Nd and ¹⁴⁴Ce are reduced <2% precision. In addition, high-energy monoenergetic neutron beams from the FN Tandem accelerator in TUNL at Duke University was used to produce ¹⁶⁷Tm using the ¹⁶⁹Tm(n,3n) reaction. Fourtime improved branching ratio of ¹⁶⁷Tm is used now to measure reaction-in-flight (RIF) neutrons from a burning DT capsule at NIF [10]. This represents the

Should EU Citizens Living in other Member States Vote there in National Elections?

OpenAIRE

CAYALA, Philippe; SETH, Catriona; BAUBÖCK, Rainer

2012-01-01

The core right of EU citizenship is freedom of movement within the territory of the Union. But EU citizens who live in a member state other than their homeland cannot vote in the national elections of that country unless they first acquire its citizenship through naturalisation. In several member states they also lose their right to vote in national elections of their country of origin when they have lived abroad for too long. A group of EU citizens has started a European Citizens' Initiative...

Transport of short lived radioactive contaminants with prologed half-lives of daughters through river water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metwally, S.M.; Prohl, G.

2005-01-01

One of the main pathways for transporting contaminants to other parts in the environment, are rivers. This work is devoted for deriving and assessment the concentration of soluble radio contaminants along a river at any time after discharge, including the short-lived radionuclides in comparison with the discharge time interval, and prolonged half-life of the produced daughter nuclei. The assumed boundary conditions and deduced formulas can be applied either in case of accidental release or discharge under authority control. The formulas determining the produced daughter nuclei concentration require inequality of the parent and daughter nuclei half-lives. Because of the regional variation of river morphology, the assumed constancy of the flow velocity and dispersion coefficient requires dividing the river path into zones of similar hydrologic characteristics

Design and Performance Assessment of a Conceptual Cover Cap of Near Surface Repository for Short Lived Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asaba, Ruth; Kim, Changlak [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

The safety of the overall waste disposal system is determined by the performance of its individual components: waste form, waste container, engineered barrier and the host environment. The design of the cover cap helps in preventing percolation of water, and in retarding radionuclide migration from the disposal facility to the biosphere. The cover of a disposal facility is usually a combination of materials such as sand, gravel, concrete, clay and soil conditioned for vegetation growth. The cover system will be designed using models such as EPA's Hydrological Evaluation of Land fill Performance (HELP) code. This paper describes a conceptual design for a cover cap for a land fill as a preferred disposal facility for low and short lived intermediate radioactive waste in Uganda. Majority of the waste is generated from disused sealed and unsealed radioactive sources arising from medical, industrial applications, and research. Radioactive waste management has raised a lot of concern in both developed and developing countries. Each country has a responsibility to come up with a solution to prevent contamination of the environment and humans from radioactive waste. It is important to have thicker soil layers in cap designs so as to support vegetation growth since some activities such as erosion and settlements are expected. Help simulations in this study will assist to demonstrate that it is possible to design a cover cap which can contain radioactive waste packages for hundreds of years provided the proper institutional and performance monitoring schemes are implemented.

Data Resource Profile: The European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC).

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Vishal S; Karanikolos, Marina; Clair, Amy; Reeves, Aaron; Stuckler, David; McKee, Martin

2015-04-01

Social and economic policies are inextricably linked with population health outcomes in Europe, yet few datasets are able to fully explore and compare this relationship across European countries. The European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey aims to address this gap using microdata on income, living conditions and health. EU-SILC contains both cross-sectional and longitudinal elements, with nationally representative samples of individuals 16 years and older in 28 European Union member states as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Data collection began in 2003 in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Luxembourg and Austria, with subsequent expansion across Europe. By 2011, all 28 EU member states, plus three others, were included in the dataset. Although EU-SILC is administered by Eurostat, the data are output-harmonized so that countries are required to collect specified data items but are free to determine sampling strategies for data collection purposes. EU-SILC covers approximately 500,000 European residents for its cross-sectional survey annually. Whereas aggregated data from EU-SILC are publicly available [http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/income-and-living-conditions/data/main-tables], microdata are only available to research organizations subject to approval by Eurostat. Please refer to [http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/microdata/eu_silc] for further information regarding microdata access. © The Author 2015; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Separation of actinides and long-lived fission products from high-level radioactive wastes (a review)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolarik, Z.

1991-11-01

The management of high-level radioactive wastes is facilitated, if long-lived and radiotoxic actinides and fission products are separated before the final disposal. Especially important is the separation of americium, curium, plutonium, neptunium, strontium, cesium and technetium. The separated nuclides can be deposited separately from the bulk of the high-level waste, but their transmutation to short-lived nuclides is a muchmore favourable option. This report reviews the chemistry of the separation of actinides and fission products from radioactive wastes. The composition, nature and conditioning of the wastes are described. The main attention is paid to the solvent extraction chemistry of the elements and to the application of solvent extraction in unit operations of potential partitioning processes. Also reviewed is the behaviour of the elements in the ion exchange chromatography, precipitation, electrolysis from aqueous solutions and melts, and the distribution between molten salts and metals. Flowsheets of selected partitioning processes are shown and general aspects of the waste partitioning are shortly discussed. (orig.) [de

Radiotracer diffusion in semiconductors and metallic compounds using short-lived isotopes

CERN Multimedia

Deicher, M; Kronenberg, J; Wagner, F E

The transport of atoms in solids is of central importance for solid state physics, chemistry, metallurgy, and material sciences. Since the mobility of atoms in solids contributes to many physical phenomena the study of diffusion processes is of fundamental interest for solid state physics. Diffusion processes were frequently investigated using radioactive isotopes (radiotracers). The application of short-lived isotopes delivered at ISOLDE extends substantially the possibilities of investigating diffusion processes in solids. In particular, a new experimental set-up to be installed at ISOLDE in this year will enable the use of radioactive isotopes with half-lives down to minutes. Alternatively, in special cases diffusion processes can be investigated with help of hyperfine techniques on an atomic scale, like by perturbed $\\gamma \\gamma$-angular correlation (PAC). Here, the motion of the atom of interest becomes visible directly via characteristic changes in the measured PAC spectra.

Place of the final disposal of short lived dismantling waste; Plats foer slutfoervaring av kortlivat rivningsavfall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-01-15

This report deals with the short-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste, which will mainly arise from the dismantling of the Swedish nuclear power plants, but also the dismantling of other nuclear facilities. For these installations to be dismantled, there must be the capacity to receive and dispose of dismantling waste. SKB plans to expand the existing final repository for short-lived radioactive waste (SFR) in Forsmark for this purpose. The legislation requires alternatives to the chosen location. The alternate location for the disposal of decommissioning waste SKB has chosen to compare with is a location in the Simpevarp area outside Oskarshamn. There are currently Oskarshamn nuclear power plant and SKB between stock 'CLAB'. The choice of Simpevarp as alternative location is based on that it's one of the places in the country where data on the bedrock is available to an extent that allows an assessment of the prospects for long-term security, such an assessment is actually showing good potential, and that the location provide realistic opportunities to put into practice the disposal of decommissioning waste. At a comparison between the disposal of short-lived decommissioning waste in an extension of SFR with the option to build a separate repository for short-lived decommissioning waste in Simpevarp, the conclusion is that both options offer potentially good prospects for long-term security. The differences still indicated speaks to the Forsmark advantage. Similar conclusions were obtained when comparing the factors of environment, health and social aspects.

Association of long-lived radioactivity with sediment along the Columbia River shoreline, islands, bottom and slough areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fix, J.J.

1975-01-01

Since deactivation of the last once-through cooling production reactor in January 1971, radioactivity associated with sediments or biota in the Columbia River attributable to past Hanford operations decreased to very low levels. Currently only a few long-lived radionuclides are measurable and generally due to the association of these radionuclides with sediments in the river. The data available from several different monitoring programs provide a preliminary description of the extent, concentration, and physical form of these radionuclides. Data are presented on 137 Cs, 60 Co, 65 Zn, and 152 Eu in sediments sampled in 1974

Disposal approach for long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Beak; Park, Joo Wan; Kim, Chang Lak

2005-01-01

There certainly exists the radioactive inventory that exceeds the waste acceptance criteria for final disposal of the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste. In this paper, current disposal status of the long-lived radioactive waste in several nations are summarized and the basic procedures for disposal approach are suggested. With this suggestion, intensive discussion and research activities can hopefully be launched to set down the possible resolutions to dispose of the long-lived radioactive waste

Radioactive waste management and disposal in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harries, J.R.

1997-01-01

A national near-surface repository at a remote and arid location is proposed for the disposal of solid low-level and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive wastes in Australia. The repository will be designed to isolate the radioactive waste from the human environment under controlled conditions and for a period long enough for the radioactivity to decay to low levels. Compared to countries that have nuclear power programs, the amount of waste in Australia is relatively small. Nevertheless, the need for a national disposal facility for solid low-level radioactive and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive wastes is widely recognised and the Federal Government is in the process of selecting a site for a national near-surface disposal facility for low and short-lived intermediate level wastes. Some near surface disposal facilities already exist in Australia, including tailings dams at uranium mines and the Mt Walton East Intractable Waste Disposal Facility in Western Australia which includes a near surface repository for low level wastes originating in Western Australia. 7 refs, 1 fig., 2 tabs

LA-ICP-MS for Trace Analysis of Long-Lived Radionuclides in Solid Non-conducting Radioactive Waste Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, J.S.; Gastel, M.; Tenzler, D.; Dietze, H.J.

1999-01-01

The characterization of radioactive waste materials from nuclear reactors for recycling and final storage requires fast, sensitive and precise analytical methods, which are able to determine long-lived radionuclidic ultra traces in a short time. For the determination of long-lived α and β ray-emitting nuclides besides the classical radiochemical methods which are mostly include time-consuming radiochemical separation procedures, to an increasing extent inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been used successfully as a powerful trace, ultra trace and isotopic analytical method for the determination of long-lived radionuclides in aqueous solutions [1-3

Emission channeling lattice location experiments with short-lived isotopes

CERN Multimedia

Wahl, U; Ronning, C R

2007-01-01

Emission channeling with position-sensitive detectors is a well-established technique at ISOLDE for studying the lattice location of radioactive impurities implanted into single crystals. In the case of electron emitting isotopes, however, due to count rate and noise-related limitations of the detection systems, the technique was restricted to isotopes with half lives above 6 h and electron energies above 40 keV. Recently, major technical developments have been realized and new equipment has been acquired which has allowed these limitations to be overcome and made feasible electron emission channeling experiments with short-lived isotopes and at low electron energies.\\\\ As first application, making use of two new on-line emission channeling setups at ISOLDE, we propose to investigate the lattice location of the transition metals Ni (2.5 h) and Co (1.6 h) in semiconductors, in particular in ZnO and GaN, by means of on-line $\\beta^{-}$-emission channeling experiments. In addition, we would like to study the lat...

Separation efficiency of the MASHA facility for short-lived mercury isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Rodin, A. M.; Belozerov, A. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Dmitriev, S. N.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Itkis, M. G.; Kliman, J.; Kondratiev, N. A.; Krupa, L.; Novoselov, A. S.; Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Podshibyakin, A. V.; Salamatin, V. S.; Siváček, I.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Vanin, D. V.; Vedeneev, V. Yu.; Yukhimchuk, S. A.; Granja, C.; Pospisil, S.

2014-06-01

The mass-separator MASHA built to identify Super Heavy Elements by their mass-to-charge ratios is described. The results of the off- and on-line measurements of its separation efficiency are presented. In the former case four calibrated leaks of noble gases were used. In the latter the efficiency was measured via 284 MeV Ar beam and with using the hot catcher. The ECR ion source was used in both cases. The -radioactive isotopes of mercury produced in the complete fusion reaction Ar+SmHg+xn were detected at the mass-separator focal plane. The half-lives and the separation efficiency for the short-lived mercury isotopes were measured. Potentialities of the MEDIPIX detector system have been demonstrated for future use at the mass-separator MASHA.

Andra. Everything on the management of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-08-01

This publication briefly presents the ANDRA, the French National Agency for the management of radioactive wastes, its mission, its activities, its financing, and some key figures. It briefly presents the phenomenon of radioactivity, radioactive wastes and their storage. It presents the different classes of radioactive wastes (very-low-level, low- and intermediate-level and short-lived, low-level and long-lived, high-level and intermediate-level and long-lived) and their storage principles. It sketches the pathway followed by a waste from its production to its storage. It presents the various ANDRA sites

Early-stage bioassay for monitoring radioactive contamination in living livestock.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Toshiro; Sawano, Kaita; Kishimoto, Miori; Furuhama, Kazuhisa; Yamada, Kazutaka

2012-12-01

Soil samples from the ground surface and feces and blood from a mixed-breed male pig were collected on April 10, 2011 at a farm within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The radioactivity of each sample was measured using a Ge semiconductor detector. Despite the fact that the pig had been fed non-contaminated imported feed, (131)I, (134)Cs and (137)Cs were detected in the feces, and (134)Cs and (137)Cs were detected in the blood clots. Because it is considerably difficult to measure radioactive contamination in the edible muscle of living livestock, bioassays are an option for the screening of radioactive contamination in living livestock to ensure food safety.

Alternative solutions for the disposal of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsey, R.W. Jr.

1976-01-01

Besides outlining the possibility of dispatching concentrated highly radioactive waste by rockets into space, or of transmuting long-lived isotopes by nuclear reactions into short-lived ones, the author discusses further alternatives for the disposal of radioactive wastes, especially the storage in geologic formations. (HR/LN) [de

Your radioactive garden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, W.G.

1986-01-01

The booklet on radiation risks from nuclear waste is based on lectures given by the author at Westminster School (United Kingdom) and elsewhere during 1986. A description is given of naturally-occurring radioactivity, and the health risks due to this radiation. The types of radioactive wastes produced by the nuclear industry are described, including low-level wastes, short-lived and long-lived intermediate-level wastes, and high level wastes. These wastes are discussed with respect to their potential health risks and their disposal underground. (U.K.)

Simulation of radon short lived decay daughters' inhalation using the lung compartmental model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomulescu, Vlad C.

2002-01-01

Radon and its short-lived decay daughters are the main source of radiation on natural ways for population. The radon gas, released from soil, water or construction materials is producing by radioactive decay the following solid daughters: Po-218, Bi-214, Pb-214, and Po-214, which can attach to aerosols, and consequently penetrate the organism by inhalation. The human respiratory tract can be approximated by aid of a compartment model that takes into account the different anatomical structures exposed to contamination and irradiation, as well as the respective physiological processes. This model is associated to a mathematical equation system that describes the behavior of the radioactive material inside the body. The results represent the dose equivalent on different organs and tissues, as a function of subject and the activity performed in contaminating environment. (author)

The Short Selling Regulation in the EU: Assessing the Authorization Granted for ESMA to Prohibit Short Selling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matias Huhtilainen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses the renewed short selling regulation (Regulation (EU No 236/2012 in the European Union. The focus is on the provisions that deal with prohibiting short selling in exceptional market circumstances. The Regulation further enforces certain obligations to report and disclose short positions. It is concluded that banning short selling is not an effective tool to contain extreme price volatility. The difference-in-differences regression and repeated measures GLM were used to test whether short selling bans were successful in containing volatility of those Spanish and Italian stocks that were subject to two back-to-back prohibitions during the years 2011-2013. The results are consistent with the majority of previous research, suggesting that the effectiveness of short sale constraints in reducing volatility is limited at best. Furthermore, there are evidence of counterproductive effects: constraints on short selling may actually increase volatility as well as deteriorate liquidity. However, based on theory and previous studies, reporting and disclosure requirements shall be favored provided they improve market efficiency as well as supervisory work of regulatory bodies.This paper discusses the renewed short selling regulation (Regulation (EU No 236/2012 in the European Union. The focus is on the provisions that deal with prohibiting short selling in exceptional market circumstances. The Regulation further enforces certain obligations to report and disclose short positions. It is concluded that banning short selling is not an effective tool to contain extreme price volatility. The difference-in-differences regression and repeated measures GLM were used to test whether short selling bans were successful in containing volatility of those Spanish and Italian stocks that were subject to two back-to-back prohibitions during the years 2011-2013. The results are consistent with the majority of previous research, suggesting that the

IAEA-EU Joint Action Partnership in Improving Nuclear Security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-12-01

Nuclear and other radioactive material is on the move and in demand. Used in peaceful applications such as energy, medicine, research and industry, it improves the daily lives of individuals worldwide. Nonetheless, the risk posed by it falling into the wrong hands is a real and growing concern of the international community and one that demands improved nuclear security. Steps to bolster nuclear security and mitigate this risk include accounting for and securing nuclear and radioactive material as well as their related facilities, and helping to prevent theft, sabotage and use with malicious intent. Strong legislative, regulatory and enforcement frameworks, enhanced national capacity, and increased international cooperation in protecting against, and preparing for, any scenario strengthens these measures further. As a result, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved a plan of activities in 2002 to improve nuclear security worldwide. In 2003, the Council of the European Union (EU) adopted its Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Since then, five Contribution Agreements between the European Commission (EC) and the IAEA have been undertaken to provide financial support to IAEA activities in the areas of nuclear security and verification. These 'Joint Actions' assist States in strengthening their nuclear security infrastructure and underscore both the EU and IAEA's commitment to effective cooperation. IAEA-EU JOINT ACTION. The IAEA works to improve and strengthen national nuclear security programmes worldwide. EU support helps to advance the IAEA's efforts by raising awareness and improving understanding of nuclear security and its many component parts. Priority is given to those States that need to determine what radioactive and nuclear material they have, how to control it and how to reduce the risk it poses. Efforts focus on three main areas, strengthening: (i) States' legislative and regulatory

Radioactive waste treatment and handling in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivintsev, Yu.V.

1984-01-01

Classification of radioactive wastes customary in France and the program of radiation protection in handling them are discussed. Various methods of radioactive waste processing and burial are considered. The French classification of radioactive wastes differs from one used in the other countries. Wastes are classified under three categories: A, B and C. A - low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes with short-lived radionuclides (half-life - less than 30 years, negligible or heat release, small amount of long-lived radionuclides, especially such as plutonium, americium and neptunium); B - low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes with long-lived radionuclides (considerable amounts of long-lived radionuclides including α-emitters, low and moderate-level activity of β- and γ-emitters, low and moderate heat release); C - high-level radioactive wastes with long-lived radionuclides (high-level activity of β- and γ-emitters, high heat release, considerable amount of long-lived radionuclides). Volumetric estimations of wastes of various categories and predictions of their growth are given. It is noted that the concept of closed fuel cycle with radiochemical processing of spent fuel is customary in France

Radioactivity measurements on live Bewick's Swans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hancock, R.; Wollam, P.B.

1987-01-01

Measurements made on 46 live swans at Slimbridge using portable high resolution hyperpure germanium gamma ray spectrometry equipment are described. Laboratory measurements are also reported on two swans which died of natural causes or of flying accidents. The implications of the measured radioactivity levels are discussed in relation to the suggestion that they might have been affected by the Chernobyl accident on their migration. (UK)

Long lived isotopes in the Chernobyl radioactive cloud at Cracow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mietelski, J.W.; Broda, R.; Sieniawski, J.

1988-01-01

The analysis of the residual gamma radioactivity in the air filters exposed during the passage of the Chernobyl radioactive cloud over Cracow area gave data on variation in time of the relative contribution of long lived radioisotopes. Conclusions on transport properties of some elements are deduced from the obtained results. 10 refs., 5 figs. (author)

Current status of radioactive waste disposal in Japan and foreign countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Masahumi; Inagaki, Yusuke; Kurata, Mitsuyuki; Tanabe, Hiromi

2002-01-01

Various kinds of wastes are generated from operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities such as a nuclear power plant, a reprocessing plant and so on. These wastes contain radionuclides and are called 'Radioactive Waste'. The radionuclides in the wastes vary considerably in amount from small to large and their half-lives differ in length from short-lived to long-lived. The safety principle for radioactive waste management is to prevent human beings and the environment from receiving radiation exposure over the level which the safety authority in each country approve based on the recommendations by international organizations such as the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). To assure the conformity to this safety principle, each country has examined the safety measures to dispose of radioactive wastes on the basis of their own condition. For example, high-level radioactive waste (H LW) from reprocessing plant or spent fuel designated as waste and intermediate-and low-level long-lived radioactive wastes, which contain large quantity of long-lived radionuclides, will be disposed of into a deep stable geological formation. The intermediate-and low-level short-lived radioactive wastes, which mainly contain short-lived radionuclides with limited quantity of long-lived radionuclides, have been disposed of in a controlled surface disposal facility or in a rock cavern in the depth of 50-100 m. Clearance level has been considered to be applied for the wastes, which contain very small amount of radionuclides and those wastes bellow clearance level will cause negligible hazards only even without taking any radiation control measures. Such wastes could be reused, recycled or disposed of in the same manner as general wastes from the industries, etc. (author)

A survey of selected neutron-activation reactions with short-lived products of importance to fusion reactor technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, R.C.; Gomes, I.C.; Smith, D.L.

1994-11-01

The status of the cross sections for production of short-lived radioactivities in the intense high-energy neutron fields associated with D-T fusion reactors is investigated. The main concerns relative to these very radioactive isotopes are with radiation damage to sensitive components such as superconducting magnets, the decay-heat problem and the safety of personnel during operation of the facility. The present report surveys the status of nuclear data required to assess these problems. The study is limited to a few high-priority nuclear reactions which appear to be of critical concern in this context. Other reactions of lesser concern are listed but are not treated in the present work. Among the factors that were considered in defining the relevant reactions and setting priorities are: quantities of the elemental materials in a fusion reactor, isotopic abundances within elemental categories, the decay properties of the induced radioactive byproducts, the reaction cross sections, and the nature of the decay radiations. Attention has been focused on radioactive species with half lives in the range from about 1 second to 15 minutes. Available cross-section and reaction-product decay information from the literature has been compiled and included in the report. Uncertainties have been estimated by examining several sets of experimental as well as evaluated data. Comments on the general status of data for various high-priority reactions are offered. On the basis of this investigation, it has been found that the nuclear data are in reasonably good shape for some of the most important reactions but are unacceptable for others. Based on this investigation, the reactions which should be given the greatest attention are: 16 O(n,p) 16 N, 55 Mn(n,p) 55 Cr, 57 Fe(n,p) 57 Mn, 186 W(n,2n) 185m W, and 207 Pb(n,n') 207m Pb. However, the development of fusion power would benefit from an across-the-board refinement in these nuclear data so that a more accurate quantitative

Continuous administration of short-lived radioisotope tracers and the analogous Laplace transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orr, J.S.

1979-01-01

Short-lived radioactive tracers are used because of the low radiation dose to patients. Another advantage finding increasing use, however, is that the equilibrium activities achieved by continuous administration to a steady state contain kinetic information. This is not the case with long-lived isotopes. The derivation of quantitative kinetic information in the form of rate constants or flows requires the formulation of a model of the system being studied. Several approaches to this have been published based on a model of single compartments with simultaneous arrival of tracer. To deal with more realistic models a method is proposed which uses the analogy between the procedure of continuous administration of short-lived tracer and the Laplace transform. This analogy permits all the theorems of Laplace transform theory to be applied to the analysis of measured activities. The basis of the analogy is explained and examples are given of its application to a number of models which represent actual physiology more realistically than single compartment models. In these applications the transformed equations representing the model, with measured values of activity inserted for each transform, are solved to derive the rate constants. This is different from the use of Laplace transforms where the constant coefficients are known and the initial value problem is solved to find the behaviour of the variables. (author)

Radioactive waste management and public participation in the EU. Lessons learnt from the EURATOM research framework programmes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferraro, Gianluca [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Petten (Netherlands); Martell, Meritxell [Merience SCP, Barcelona (Spain)

2015-12-15

Since 2000, the EURATOM Framework Programmes have dedicated political attention and economic support to public participation in radioactive waste management (RWM). Although a one-fit-all solution for a participatory RWM does not exist, the diversity that characterizes the European Union (EU) offers a relevant pool of knowledge and experience. The Joint Research Centre has used the knowledge and experience cumulated by relevant EURATOM projects to define a list of general principles for a more participatory approach to RWM. The principles explained in this article can ultimately work as indications for the changes and strategic actions that are needed for a better RWM in the EU.

Radioactive waste management and public participation in the EU. Lessons learnt from the EURATOM research framework programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferraro, Gianluca; Martell, Meritxell

2015-01-01

Since 2000, the EURATOM Framework Programmes have dedicated political attention and economic support to public participation in radioactive waste management (RWM). Although a one-fit-all solution for a participatory RWM does not exist, the diversity that characterizes the European Union (EU) offers a relevant pool of knowledge and experience. The Joint Research Centre has used the knowledge and experience cumulated by relevant EURATOM projects to define a list of general principles for a more participatory approach to RWM. The principles explained in this article can ultimately work as indications for the changes and strategic actions that are needed for a better RWM in the EU.

A review of airborne particle sampling with special reference to long-lived radioactive dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigu, J.

1990-03-01

This report reviews some basic aspects related to the sampling of airborne particles with special reference to Long-Lived Radioactive Dust (LLRD). The report covers a number of areas of practical interest such as the production of aerosols, the dynamics of suspended particles, the physical and chemical characteristics and properties of dust clouds, and the inhalation and measurement of dust. It is followed with a brief review of dust sampling instrumentation, and with a short account of the work done on LLRD in Canada with a few references to work done outside this country. (34 figs., 7 tabs., 117 refs.)

Geochemical behavior of long-lived radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gera, F.

1975-07-01

The hazard potential associated with the heavy elements present in high-level radioactive waste decreases greatly in the first few tens of thousands of years of decay; however, further reduction in the hazard potential becomes extremely slow after about 100,000 years. In the time period between 100,000 and 5 million years the hazard potential of high-level waste is reduced by a factor of between 10 and 20. Current evidence seems to indicate that if radioactive waste containment were to fail after a period of 100,000 years or more, some environmental contamination would result; however, the contamination levels would be low. The radiological risk would not be significantly different from that now existing in various localities as a result of the accumulation of natural radioactive elements. With the partial exception of radium, which is concentrated in the fruit of specific perennial plants, the long-lived alpha-emitters are characterized by very low biologic availability in terrestrial ecosystems. The biologic availability may be somewhat higher in aquatic ecosystems due to the significant reconcentration factors in particular organisms. Data concerning the levels of activity in foods grown on radioactive soils seem to confirm the low biologic availability of the natural radioactive elements. Surveys of uranium mill tailings indicate little dispersal of the radioactive elements into the environment; even though untreated tailings piles would appear to be particularly vulnerable to resuspension of dust particles by wind. (U.S.)

Need and design of short-term auctions in the EU gas markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vazquez, Miguel; Hallack, Michelle

2013-01-01

In the EU, gas markets are based on socializing network flexibility services. However, shippers have different preferences on network flexibility, which are not reflected in current allocation models. We propose the introduction of auction mechanisms to allocate network services in the short run. The auction aims to represent simultaneously the diversity of players′ preferences and the trade-offs implied by network constraints. Two sealed-bid auctions are proposed: (a) an auction based on bids for gas, which allocates network services through the minimization of gas price differences; (b) an auction with explicit bids for line-pack, which allows shippers′ valuation of line-pack storage. - Highlights: • EU gas regulation faces serious difficulties in network resource allocation. • We propose two short-term auctions with implicit network allocation. • The difference between the two is the implicit or explicit allocation of line-pack. • The first auction considers line-pack as an instrument to arbitrage gas prices. • The second auction design considers line-pack as a tool to hedge volatility

Radiopharmaceuticals and other compounds labelled with short-lived radionuclides

CERN Document Server

Welch, Michael J

2013-01-01

Radiopharmaceuticals and Other Compounds Labelled with Short-Lived Radionuclides covers through both review and contributed articles the potential applications and developments in labeling with short-lived radionuclides whose use is restricted to institutions with accelerators. The book discusses the current and potential use of generator-produced radionuclides as well as other short-lived radionuclides, and the problems of quality control of such labeled compounds. The book is useful to nuclear medicine physicians.

Radioactivity of radon and its short-lived decay products in room air, 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimo, Michikuni; Katoh, Takao

1983-01-01

In the reactor room of the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, the measurements of radon (Rn) and its short-lived decay products (Rn-Dts) were carried out under ventilated and non-ventilated conditions. The indoor activities were equal to outdoor ones under ventilated condition and those activities increased till about 10 times of outdoors under non-ventilated condition. We attempted to explain these results on a basis of a simple model. The calculations were performed taking into account: (1) supply of Rn and Rn-Dts from outdoor, (2) the emanation rate of Rn from the wall materials of building, (3) the removal rate of Rn-Dts by ventilation and wall deposition, and (4) the attachment rate of unattached atom to aerosols. In addition, natural ventilation were considered during periods without artificial ventilation. (author)

Luminescence properties of different Eu sites in LiMgPO4:Eu2+, Eu3+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baran, A; Mahlik, S; Grinberg, M; Cai, P; Kim, S I; Seo, H J

2014-01-01

The effect of temperature on the luminescence properties of LiMgPO 4 doped with Eu 3+ and Eu 2+ are presented. Depending on the excitation wavelength, luminescence spectra consist of two distinct broad emission bands peaking at 380 nm and 490 nm related to 4f 6 5d 1  → 4f 7 ( 8 S 7/2 ) luminescence of Eu 2+ and to europium-trapped exciton, respectively, and/or several sharp lines between the 580 nm and 710 nm region, ascribed to the 5 D 0  →  7 F J (J = 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4) transitions in Eu 3+ . To explain all the features of the Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ luminescence we discussed the existence of two different Eu sites substituting for Li + , with short and long distance compensation. The evident effect of increasing the intensity of the Eu 2+ luminescence with increasing temperature was observed. It was considered that the charge compensation mechanism for Eu 3+ and Li + as well as Eu 2+ replacing Li + in the LiMgPO 4 is a long distance compensation that allows for the existence of some of the europium ions either as Eu 3+ at low temperature or as Eu 2+ at high temperature. We concluded that Eu 2+ in the Li + site with long distance compensation yields only 4f 6 5d 1  → 4f 7 luminescence, whereas Eu 2+ in the Li + site with short distance compensation yields 4f 6 5d 1  → 4f 7 luminescence and europium-trapped exciton emission. (paper)

Radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pahissa Campa, Jaime; Pahissa, Marta H. de

2000-01-01

Throughout this century, the application of nuclear energy has produced many benefits, in industry, in research, in medicine, and in the generation of electricity. These activities generate wastes in the same way as do other human activities. The primary objective of radioactive waste management is to protect human health and environment now and in the future without imposing undue burden on future generations, through sound, safe and efficient radioactive waste management. This paper briefly describes the different steps of the management of short lived low and intermediate level wastes, and presents and overview of the state of art in countries involved in nuclear energy, describing their organizations, methodologies used in the processing of these wastes and the final disposal concepts. It also presents the Argentine strategy, its technical and legal aspects. Worldwide experience during the past 50 years has shown that short lived low and intermediate level wastes can be successfully isolated from human and environment in near surface disposal facilities. (author)

The radioactive wastes: an easy and realistic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradel, J.

2000-01-01

The question of radioactive waste storage is developed in this feature article. The two categories discussed are the low level and short lived radioactive wastes (period inferior to 30 years) and the long lived and high level radioactive wastes. The technical part about the storage is detailed, then, a study about unexpected troubles that could occur is made and their consequences studied. The last but not the least part is the development about the reasons that alarm the population and the solutions to bring about it. (N.C.)

How Short-Lived Ikaite Affects Calcite Crystallization

OpenAIRE

Besselink, R; Rodriguez-Blanco, JD; Stawski, TM; Benning, LG; Tobler, DJ

2017-01-01

The pathways of CaCO3 crystallization are manifold, often involving one or several metastable amorphous or nanocrystalline intermediate phases. The presence of such intermediates is often overlooked, because they are short-lived and/or occur at small molar fractions. However, their occurrence does not just impact the mechanisms and pathways of formation of the final stable CaCO3 phase, but also affects their crystal size, shape, and structure. Here we document the presence of a short-lived in...

Estimating the mean and variance of measurements from serial radioactive decay schemes with emphasis on 222Rn and its short-lived progeny

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inkret, W.C.; Borak, T.B.; Boes, D.C.

1990-01-01

Classically, the mean and variance of radioactivity measurements are estimated from poisson distributions. However, the random distribution of observed events is not poisson when the half-life is short compared with the interval of observation or when more than one event can be associated with a single initial atom. Procedures were developed to estimate the mean and variance of single measurements of serial radioactive processes. Results revealed that observations from the three consecutive alpha emissions beginning with 222 Rn are positively correlated. Since the poisson estimator ignores covariance terms, it underestimates the true variance of the measurement. The reverse is true for mixtures of radon daughters only. (author)

Simultaneous Measurements of Nanoaerosols and Radioactive Aerosols Containing the Short-lived Radon Isotopes.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Otáhal, P.P.S.; Burian, I.; Ondráček, Jakub; Ždímal, Vladimír; Holub, R.F.

2017-01-01

Roč. 175, č. 5 (2017), s. 53-56 ISSN 0144-8420. [Conference on Protection against Radon at Home and at Work / 13th International Workshop on the Geological Aspects of Radon Risk Mapping /8./. Prague, 12.09.2017-16.09.2017] Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : equilibrium-equivalent concentration * radon * radioactive nenoaerosols Subject RIV: DL - Nuclear Waste, Radioactive Pollution ; Quality OBOR OECD: Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7) Impact factor: 0.917, year: 2016

The high level and long lived radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This report presents the main conclusions of 15 years of researches managed by the CEA. This report is the preliminary version of the 2005 final report. It presents the main conclusions of the actions on the axis 1 and 3 of the law of the 30 December 1991. The synthesis report on the axis 1 concerns results obtained on the long lived radionuclides separation and transmutation in high level and long lived radioactive wastes. the synthesis report on the axis 3 presents results obtained by the processes of conditioning and of ground and underground long term storage. (A.L.B.)

Regulation of radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This bulletin contains information about activities of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (UJD). In this leaflet the regulation of radioactive waste management of the UJD are presented. Radioactive waste (RAW) is the gaseous, liquid or solid material that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides at concentrations or activities greater than clearance levels and for which no use is foreseen. The classification of radioactive waste on the basis of type and activity level is: - transition waste; - short lived low and intermediate level waste (LlLW-SL); - long lived low and intermediate level waste (LlLW-LL); - high level waste. Waste management (in accordance with Act 130/98 Coll.) involves collection, sorting, treatment, conditioning, transport and disposal of radioactive waste originated by nuclear facilities and conditioning, transport to repository and disposal of other radioactive waste (originated during medical, research and industrial use of radioactive sources). The final goal of radioactive waste management is RAW isolation using a system of engineered and natural barriers to protect population and environment. Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic regulates radioactive waste management in accordance with Act 130/98 Coll. Inspectors regularly inspect and evaluate how the requirements for nuclear safety at nuclear facilities are fulfilled. On the basis of safety documentation evaluation, UJD issued permission for operation of four radioactive waste management facilities. Nuclear facility 'Technologies for treatment and conditioning contains bituminization plants and Bohunice conditioning centre with sorting, fragmentation, evaporation, incineration, supercompaction and cementation. Final product is waste package (Fibre reinforced container with solidified waste) acceptable for near surface repository in Mochovce. Republic repository in Mochovce is built for disposal of short lived low and intermediate level waste. Next

Radioactive wastes: sources, treatment, and disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wymer, R.G.; Blomeke, J.O.

1975-01-01

Sources, treatment, and disposal of radioactive wastes are analyzed in an attempt to place a consideration of the problem of permanent disposal at the level of established or easily attainable technology. In addition to citing the natural radioactivity present in the biosphere, the radioactive waste generated at each phase of the fuel cycle (mills, fabrication plants, reactors, reprocessing plants) is evaluated. The three treatment processes discussed are preliminary storage to permit decay of the short-lived radioisotopes, solidification of aqueous wastes, and partitioning the long-lived α emitters for separate and long-term storage. Dispersion of radioactive gases to the atmosphere is already being done, and storage in geologically stable structures such as salt mines is under active study. The transmutation of high-level wastes appears feasible in principle, but exceedingly difficult to develop

Practical applications of short-lived radioisotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1963-01-15

The advantages of the use of short-lived radioisotopes in agriculture, food industry and medicine as well as some industrial uses are discussed. Methods for isotope production in small research reactors and laboratories are presented

ILK statement about the proposed EU directives on nuclear safety and the management of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

In November 2002, the European Commission proposed a package of measures for a community concept of the EU on nuclear safety. It includes a proposed directive on the safety of nuclear installations during operating and decommissioning, and a proposed directive on the management of radioactive waste. In the opinion of the International Nuclear Committee (ILK), the competences and obligations of the member states and their safety authorities must be preserved in the future. Primary responsibility for plant safety rests with the operator. This objective is served by transparent, harmonized EU-wide safety standards. New standards and definitions are not generally required. Harmonized safety standards to be developed should initially be limited to nuclear power plants because of the fundamental differences in design of nuclear facilities. The Commission should obtain the technical competence required to perform the duties arising from the application of the proposed directive. Formal inspections by the Commission of the national regulatory authorities are not necessary. Instead, a peer review process will be the better solution. A reporting system at three-year intervals is generally regarded as the most effective approach. The ILK considers the tight schedule for final storage, especially of high-level waste, problematic. Joint repository projects, also for countries with low waste arisings, are suitable approaches. The envisaged reports about the state of radioactive waste management should be integrated into the reporting systems under other international agreements. The Commission's intention to intensify cooperation in the field of research is welcomed. (orig.) [de

Distribution of residual long-lived radioactivity in the inner concrete walls of a compact medical cyclotron vault room.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujibuchi, Toshioh; Nohtomi, Akihiro; Baba, Shingo; Sasaki, Masayuki; Komiya, Isao; Umedzu, Yoshiyuki; Honda, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Compact medical cyclotrons have been set up to generate the nuclides necessary for positron emission tomography. In accelerator facilities, neutrons activate the concrete used to construct the vault room; this activation increases with the use of an accelerator. The activation causes a substantial radioactive waste management problem when facilities are decommissioned. In the present study, several concrete cores from the walls, ceiling and floor of a compact medical cyclotron vault room were samples 2 years after the termination of operations, and the radioactivity concentrations of radionuclides were estimated. Cylindrical concrete cores 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length were bored from the concrete wall, ceiling and floor. Core boring was performed at 18 points. The gamma-ray spectrum of each sample was measured using a high-purity germanium detector. The degree of activation of the concrete in the cyclotron vault room was analyzed, and the range and tendency toward activation in the vault room were examined. (60)Co and (152)Eu were identified by gamma-ray spectrometry of the concrete samples. (152)Eu and (60)Co are produced principally from the stable isotopes of europium and cobalt by neutron capture reactions. The radioactivity concentration did not vary much between the surface of the concrete and at a depth of 10 cm. Although the radioactivity concentration near the target was higher than the clearance level for radioactive waste indicated in IAEA RS-G-1.7, the mean radioactivity concentration in the walls and floor was lower than the clearance level. The radioactivity concentration of the inner concrete wall of the medical cyclotron vault room was not uniform. The areas exceeding the clearance level were in the vicinity of the target, but most of the building did not exceed the clearance levels.

On Al-26 and other short-lived interstellar radioactivity

Science.gov (United States)

Clayton, Donald D.; Hartmann, Dieter H.; Leising, Mark D.

1993-01-01

Several authors have shown that massive stars exploding at a rate of about three per century can account for a large portion, if not all, of the observed interstellar Al-26. In a separate argument using models of Galactic chemical evolution, Clayton (1984) showed that the Al-26/Al-27 production ratio was not large enough to maintain enough Al-26 in the Galactic disk gas of about 10 exp 10 solar masses having solar composition. We present a resolution of those conflicting arguments. A past history of Galactic infall growing the Galactic disk so dilutes the stable Al-27 concentration that the two approaches can be brought into near agreement. If massive stars dominate the production of Al-26, we suggest that the apparent shortfall of their Al-26/Al-27 yield ratio is to be interpreted as evidence for significant growth of the Galactic disk. We also discuss the implications of these arguments for other extinct radioactivities in meteorites, using I-129 and Sm-146 as examples.

Public participation in decision-making processes: ONDRAF/NIRAS' approach to the disposal of low-level and short-lived radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooft, E.

2000-01-01

January 16, 1998, is a milestone in the nuclear waste management in Belgium. On that day, the Belgian government effectively opted for a definitive or potentially definitive solution for the Iona term management of low-level, short-lived radioactive waste. The government also wanted this solution to be implemented in a progressive, flexible, and reversible manner. it was thereby definitively abandoning the prolonged interim storage option, in favour of either surface disposal or deep geological disposal. At the same time, the government entrusted new missions to ONDRAFINIRAS, aimed at enabling it to make, around 2001-2002, the necessary technical and economic choice between surface disposal and deep geological disposal. ONDRAFNIRAS had to develop, in particular, methods, including the management and dialogue strictures, necessary to integrate a repository project at the local level. Furthermore, it had to restrict from then on its investigations to the four already existing nuclear zones in Belgium namely those of Doel, Fleurus, Mol-Dessel, and Tihange, and to the local towns or villages having shown an interest in a preliminary field study. Early in 1998, ONDRAFNIRAS set up a new work programme and developed an entirely new work methodology. As we understood that the best way to take involved into account the interests of all parties, is to involve them in the decision making on the project, we developed the idea of the local partnerships. Any party that could be directly affected by a collective decision, must have a say in it. Another innovative aspect of this new methodology is that of integration: an integration at the local level which is meant to enable the development of draft repository projects creating new perspectives for the regions concerned. Extending over four to five years, ONDRAFINIRAS's new work programme assumes the active participation of all the interested local representatives. Because it has understood that any party that could be directly

Management of radioactive medical waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deschamps, S.; Mathey, J.C.

1996-01-01

Hospitals are producers of small amounts of radioactive waste. Current legislation details exactly how hospitals should manage it. Sealed sources are returned to suppliers. Disposal of unsealed sources, liquid or solid, depends upon their half-life: short-lived radioisotopes (half-life less than two months) are stocked on site while they decay; isotopes with longer half-lives (greater than two months) are handled by a specialist organization (ANDRA). (authors). 8 refs

Public debate on radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The definition and implementation of safe and perennial solutions for the management of radioactive wastes is a necessity from the point of view of both the nuclear industrialists and the public authorities, but also of the overall French citizens. For the low- or medium-level or short living radioactive wastes, some solutions have been defined are are already implemented. On the other hand, no decision has been taken so far for the long living medium to high-level radioactive wastes. Researches are in progress in this domain according to 3 ways of research defined by the law from December 30, 1991: separation-transmutation, disposal in deep underground, and long duration surface or sub-surface storage. This paper presents in a digest way, the principle, the results obtained so far, and the perspectives of each of the three solutions under study. (J.S.)

Calculated cross sections for production and destruction of some long-lived nuclides of importance in fusion energy applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardner, M.A.; Gardner, D.G.

1993-01-01

Knowledge of the production and destruction of long-lived species via neutrons, photons, and charged-particles is required in many fusion energy applications, such as reactor first-wall and blanket design, radioactive waste management, etc. Here we describe our calculational results for the production, via the (n,2n) reaction, of the following long-lived species: 150 Eu(t 1/2 = 36 y), 152 Eu(t 1/2 = 13 y), and 192m2 Ir(t 1/2 = 241 y). Some comments on calculations that we've made for destruction reactions of these species are also included

Short-lived radiopharmaceutical development at E.R. Squibb and Sons, Inc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loberg, M.D.

1985-01-01

This paper describes the present status and future plans of E.R. Squibb and Sons, Inc. as they relate to the development of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals. The advantages of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals are summarized as are the problems inherent in their manufacture, quality control, and distribution. The nuclear generator is advocated as the best means of distributing short-lived radiopharmaceuticals. The E.R. Squibb and Sons work with the 82 Sr → 82 Rb generator is summarized

Measurements of beta-decay half-lives of short-lived nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirose, T.; Tsurita, Y.; Yamamoto, H.; Kawade, K. [Nagoya Univ. (Japan); Iida, T.; Takahashi, A.; Kasugai, Y.; Ikeda, Y.

1997-03-01

The {beta}-decay half-lives of short-lived nuclei produced by 14 MeV neutron bombardments were measured with Ge detectors, a High-rate spectroscopy amplifier (EG and G ORTEC model 973) and a Spectrum multi-scaler (Laboratory equipment corporation SMS-48) in the multi-scaling mode. The adequate corrections for pile-up and dead-time losses were made by applying source and pulser methods. The half-lives of {sup 53}V, {sup 53g}Fe, {sup 89m}Y and {sup 162}Tb were determined with uncertainties of 0.13-0.65%. It has been shown that previous values shorter than 10 min were systematically longer than the present ones. (author)

Treatment of radioactive effluents at the Boris Kidric Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bojovic, P.; Drobnik, S.; Popara, D.

1964-10-01

The paper describes the origin, composition and activity of radioactive effluents at the Boris Kidric Institute, their collection at the places or origin, transport to the place of disposal and treatment of some smaller quantities. Special attention has been paid to effluents with short-lived isotopes produced in the Laboratory for radioactive isotope production (author)

Systematic measurement of beta-decay half-lives of short-lived isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirose, T.; Yamamoto, H.; Kawade, K. [Nagoya Univ. (Japan); Iida, T.; Takahashi, A.; Kasugai, Y.; Ikeda, Y.

1997-03-01

We have measured the half-lives of short-lived isotopes for past decade and deduced the half-lives of 6 isotopes further. These results demonstrated that most of the literature values shorter than 10 min systematically deviated from our measurement ones. The cause seems to be that a large number of the previous half-life studies were performed with scintillation counters before 1970 and they had a difficulty in distinguishing the interest {gamma}-ray from the contamination and correcting for pile-up and dead-time losses. Moreover, the deviated data found to be quoted for evaluation. (author)

Trapping radioactive ions

CERN Document Server

Kluge, Heinz-Jürgen

2004-01-01

Trapping devices for atomic and nuclear physics experiments with radioactive ions are becoming more and more important at accelerator facilities. While about ten years ago only one online Penning trap experiment existed, namely ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN, meanwhile almost every radioactive beam facility has installed or plans an ion trap setup. This article gives an overview on ion traps in the operation, construction or planing phase which will be used for fundamental studies with short-lived radioactive nuclides such as mass spectrometry, laser spectroscopy and nuclear decay spectroscopy. In addition, this article summarizes the use of gas cells and radiofrequency quadrupole (Paul) traps at different facilities as a versatile tool for ion beam manipulation like retardation, cooling, bunching, and cleaning.

Trapping radioactive ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kluge, H.-J.; Blaum, K.

2004-01-01

Trapping devices for atomic and nuclear physics experiments with radioactive ions are becoming more and more important at accelerator facilities. While about ten years ago only one online Penning trap experiment existed, namely ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN, meanwhile almost every radioactive beam facility has installed or plans an ion trap setup. This article gives an overview on ion traps in the operation, construction or planing phase which will be used for fundamental studies with short-lived radioactive nuclides such as mass spectrometry, laser spectroscopy and nuclear decay spectroscopy. In addition, this article summarizes the use of gas cells and radiofrequency quadrupole (Paul) traps at different facilities as a versatile tool for ion beam manipulation like retardation, cooling, bunching, and cleaning

The low to intermediate activity and short living waste storage facility. For a controlled management of radioactive wastes; Le centre de stockage des dechets de faible et moyenne activite a vie courte. Pour une gestion controlee des dechets radioactifs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

Sited at about 50 km of Troyes (France), the Aube facility started in 1992 and has taken over the Manche facility for the surface storage of low to intermediate and short living radioactive wastes. The Aube facility (named CSFMA) is the answer to the safe management of these wastes at the industrial scale and for 50 years onward. This brochure presents the facility specifications, the wastes stored at the center, the surface storage concept, the processing and conditioning of waste packages, and the environmental monitoring performed in the vicinity of the site. (J.S.)

Waste inventory record keeping systems (WIRKS) for the management and disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

This report is intended to serve Member States planning to develop or implement radioactive waste disposal programmes and to discuss possible ways for compiling and managing information about the inventories in their radioactive waste repositories, which includes low and intermediate level waste (short lived and long lived) and high level radioactive waste. This report identifies generic information that may be recorded in a Waste Inventory Record Keeping System (WIRKS), as identified by consultants and based on their collective expertise in radioactive waste management. The report provides examples of WIRKS implementation in some countries

Effects of cellulose degradation products on the mobility of Eu(III) in repositories for low and intermediate level radioactive waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Diesen, Veronica; Forsberg, Kerstin; Jonsson, Mats

2017-10-15

The deep repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste SFR in Sweden will contain large amounts of cellulosic waste materials contaminated with radionuclides. Over time the repository will be filled with water and alkaline conditions will prevail. In the present study degradation of cellulosic materials and the ability of cellulosic degradation products to solubilize and thereby mobilise Eu(III) under repository conditions has been investigated. Further, the possible immobilization of Eu(III) by sorption onto cement in the presence of degradation products has been investigated. The cellulosic material has been degraded under anaerobic and aerobic conditions in alkaline media (pH: 12.5) at ambient temperature. The degradation was followed by measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) content in the aqueous phase as a function of time. After 173days of degradation the TOC content is highest in the anaerobic artificial cement pore water (1547mg/L). The degradation products are capable of solubilising Eu(III) and the total europium concentration in the aqueous phase was 900μmol/L after 498h contact time under anaerobic conditions. Further it is shown that Eu(III) is adsorbed to the hydrated cement to a low extent (<9μmol Eu/g of cement) in the presence of degradation products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of accelerator-produced short-lived radionuclides in industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupsch, H.

1986-01-01

Several problems such as corrosion, catalysis, wear, process optimization and diagnosis, damage analysis, arising in idustry can be solved using short-lived radioisotopes. Some examples of technological target designs which have been developed are demonstrated for the radionuclide production based on p,n; d,α; α,n; α,2n; α,p; γ,n; γ,p nuclear reactions. Applications of short-lived radionuclides in plants and processes of electrodeposition and gas concrete production are described. (author)

Institutional support of learning from accidents: some obstacles to getting a useful community-wide database in the EU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hedlund, Frank Huess; Andersen, Henning Boje

Union’s Major Accident Reporting System (MARS), which is created in conjunction with the EU regulatory instruments to prevent major industrial accidents, the Seveso-directive. We review some of the general requirements that a successful reporting system must meet and suggest that MARS may not live up...... to the noble intentions behind its creation. Our case example is a simple methanol tank storage installation which we believe can be found in most if not all EU member states. We demonstrate that the data in some of the Short Reports in MARS have a number of serious shortcomings. Causes are not identified...... and lessons learned are left blank. We argue that there are substantial opportunities foregone in the EU system that provides institutional support to learning from past experience. Over the course of 22 years the EU database has only accumulated about 600 Short Reports for all its member states. We consider...

Short-lived Isotopes from a Close-by AGB Star Triggering the Protosolar Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

Gallino, R.; Busso, M.; Wasserburg, G. J.; Straniero, O.

The presence of short-lived isotopes in the early solar system, in particular 26Al, 41Ca, 60Fe, and 107Pd, point to a close-by and fresh nucleosynthesis source, possibly triggering the collapse of the protosolar nebula. We present the results of nucleosynthesis calculations based on an AGB polluting hypothesis. A general concordance of the predicted yields of the above radioactivities relative to 26Al can be obtained in the case of an intermediate mass AGB star with hot bottom burning in the envelope (thus producing 26Al), and mixing through a series of third dredge-up episodes a fraction of the C-rich and s-processed material from the He intershell with the extended envelope. Polution of the protosolar nebula with freshly synthesized material may derive from the efficient winds of the AGB star. In AGB stars, the s-process nucleosynthesis occurs both during the maximum phase of every thermal runaway, driven by the partial activation of the 22Ne(alpha,n)25Mg reaction, and in the interpulse phase, where the 13C nuclei are fully consumed in radiative conditions by the activation of the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction. We have used different prescriptions for the amount of the 13C nuclei present in the intershell. A minimum amount of 13C is naturally expected in the ashes of H-shell burning. Possible formation of an extra "13C-pocket" derives from the injection of a small amount of protons from the envelope into the 12C-rich intershell during any third dredge-up episode, when the H-shell is inactivated. Prediction for other short-lived, 36Cl, 135Cs, and 205Pb, are given. General consequences for the pollution of the protosolar nebula with newly synthesized stable isotopes from the AGB winds are outlined. The origin of other detected short-lived nuclei, in particular 53Mn, 129I, and 182Hf, which cannot come from an AGB source, is analysed. The alternative trigger hypothesis by a close-by Supernova is discussed.

New three-count technique for short-lived radon decay products in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Deyuan; Lu Zhizhao

1998-01-01

Up to the present, radon and its short-lived decay products in air are usually monitored by means of a detection. But radon progeny, including RaB ( 214 Pb) and RaC ( 214 Bi) which are β and γ emitters, contribute about 90% to the equilibrium equivalent radon concentration (EECRn). Therefore, this paper introduces a new three-count technique by a β detector in the light of radioactive decay law and its boundary conditions during sampling and counting times to solve the Bateman equation. β (even low level β) instruments have been fairly popularized domestically and internationally. It can be used not only as an instrument for radon and its daughters in air, but also as a monitor for β airborne activity in the environment. This new method taps further the latent power of the present instrument and realizes various uses for a unit. (author)

Physics with energetic radioactive ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henning, W.F.

1996-01-01

Beams of short-lived, unstable nuclei have opened new dimensions in studies of nuclear structure and reactions. Such beams also provide key information on reactions that take place in our sun and other stars. Status and prospects of the physics with energetic radioactive beams are summarized

Information report on the nuclear safety and radiation protection of the Aube center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes storage - 2011. Annual report in the framework of article 21 of the Act on nuclear transparency and safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-06-01

The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2011 activity report of the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety and radiation protection, events or incidents, environmental monitoring, wastes management, public information, recommendations of the Health and safety Committee (CHSCT)

Radioactive waste management solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemann, Michael

2015-01-01

One of the more frequent questions that arise when discussing nuclear energy's potential contribution to mitigating climate change concerns that of how to manage radioactive waste. Radioactive waste is produced through nuclear power generation, but also - although to a significantly lesser extent - in a variety of other sectors including medicine, agriculture, research, industry and education. The amount, type and physical form of radioactive waste varies considerably. Some forms of radioactive waste, for example, need only be stored for a relatively short period while their radioactivity naturally decays to safe levels. Others remain radioactive for hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of years. Public concerns surrounding radioactive waste are largely related to long-lived high-level radioactive waste. Countries around the world with existing nuclear programmes are developing longer-term plans for final disposal of such waste, with an international consensus developing that the geological disposal of high-level waste (HLW) is the most technically feasible and safe solution. This article provides a brief overview of the different forms of radioactive waste, examines storage and disposal solutions, and briefly explores fuel recycling and stakeholder involvement in radioactive waste management decision making

Dynamics of radioactive lead isotopes in the global environmental atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koike, Yuya; Kosako, Toshiso

2006-01-01

Fundamental information of radioactive lead isotopes, which used as the atmospheric tracer in the global environmental atmosphere, is reviewed. Emanation and exhalation of Rn and Tn, parent nuclide, is stated. Some reports on measurement and application of short-lived lead isotopes are reported. Transfer of radioactive lead isotopes in the atmosphere, vertical profiles of radon, thoron, and short-lived lead isotopes for different turbulent mixing conditions, deposition to aerosol, basic processes of Rn decay product behavior in air defining 'unattached' and 'aerosol-attached' activities, seasonal variation of atmospheric 210 Pb concentration at Beijing and Chengdu, seasonal variation of atmospheric 212 Pb concentration at several observation sites in Japan Islands, and variation in the atmospheric concentration of 212 Pb along with SO 2 are shown. (S.Y.)

Analytical method for solving radioactive transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vudakin, Z.

1999-01-01

Analytical method for solving radioactive transformations is presented in this paper. High accuracy series expansion of the depletion function and nonsingular Bateman coefficients are used to overcome numerical difficulties when applying well-known Bateman solution of a simple radioactive decay. Generality and simplicity of the method are found to be useful in evaluating nuclide chains with one hundred or more nuclides in the chain. Method enables evaluation of complete chain, without elimination of short-lives nuclides. It is efficient and accurate

Context of the long-term management of low-level short-lived waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooft, E.

2004-01-01

Until the international moratorium of 1983, Belgium relied on sea disposal for its low-level waste. Since then, ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian radioactive waste management agency, has launched studies to look for land-based solutions. These studies, which are still going on, have gone through various phases. The sometimes harsh reactions in public opinion and the recommendations of independent experts, however, progressively led ONDRAF/NIRAS to question its work methodology. On 16 January 1998 was a milestone in Belgian's nuclear waste management. On that day, the Belgian federal government opted for a final, or potentially final, solution for the long-term management of short-lived, low-level radioactive waste, a solution that also had to be progressive, flexible, and reversible. At the same time, the government entrusted new missions to ONDRAF/NIRAS in particular that of developing methods to enable the integration of final repository project proposals at a local level and restricted the number of potential sites for final disposal to the four existing nuclear sites in Belgium and to possibly interested local districts. The government's decision of 16 January 1998 forced ONDRAF/NIRAS to change its strategy. The agency set up a new work programme and worked out an innovative methodology. This new methodology aims to generate, at the level of the interested towns and villages, draft projects for a final repository supported by a wide public consensus. (author)

Management of long-lived radioactive waste: stakes and ASN actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dandrieux, G.

2011-01-01

Due to the length of time it takes to decay, long-lived radioactive waste will remain a hazard on a timescale beyond the length of a human life, and even of several generations. In the case of this waste, long-term management solutions must be implemented to protect human health and the environment without requiring human intervention. In accordance with requirements under the Law, ANDRA (national agency for the management of radioactive waste) is carrying out research on disposal solutions in deep or subsurface geological formations. Nonetheless, until such repositories become available, ASN (authority for nuclear safety) has a duty to ensure safety at current and future interim storage facilities, as well as the safety of operations to retrieve and package this type of waste. To this end, ASN acts on several levels: it is involved in drawing up regulations and reference texts, at national and international level, it examines safety analysis reports related to radioactive waste management at basic nuclear installations, by means of inspections that it performs at every step in radioactive waste management. In its capacity as joint coordinator of the national plan for the management of nuclear waste and materials (PNGMDR) working group, ASN also plays a very active role in drawing up the provisions of the PNGMDR aimed at improving and optimising radioactive waste management. (author)

Physics with radioactive nuclear beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, R.N.; Tanihata, I.

1992-01-01

Recently developed facilities allow a wide range of new investigations of the reactions and properties of short-lived nuclei. These studies may help to solve puzzles of nuclear structure and the Big Bang. The purpose of nuclear physics is to measure properties of specific nuclides and infer from them global properties common to all nuclides. One goal, for example, is to understand nuclear sizes and matter distributions in terms of basic nuclear forces. Another is to understand the variation throughout the periodic table of the dominant quantum states, which are known as the open-quotes nuclear shell modelclose quotes states and are characterized, much as are atomic states, by a principal quantum number and by orbital and total angular momentum quantum numbers. In turn other nuclear phenomena, such as the collective excitations known as giant resonances, can be understood in terms of the shell-model configurations and basic nuclear parameters. Radioactive nuclear beam studies of reactions of short-lived nuclides have already yielded results with important ramifications in both nuclear physics and astrophysics. Nuclear physicists expect unstable nuclides to exhibit unusual structures or features that may test their understanding of known nuclear phenomena at extreme conditions, and perhaps even to reveal previously unknown nuclear phenomena, Astrophysicists, for their part, have known for several decades that processes in both Big Bang nucleosynthesis and stellar nucleosynthesis involve short-lived nuclides. Indeed, the original motivation for developing radioactive nuclear beams was astrophysical. 25 refs., 7 figs

Physics with radioactive nuclear beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, R.N.

1995-01-01

Recently developed facilities allow a wide range of new investigations of the reactions and properties of short-lived nuclei. These studies may help to solve puzzles of nuclear structure and the Big Bang. The purpose of nuclear physics is to measure properties of specific nuclides and infer from them global properties common to all nuclides, for example, is to understand nuclear sizes and matter distributions in terms of basic nuclear forces. Another is to understand the variation throughout the periodic table of the dominant quantum states, which are known as the open-quotes nuclear shell model close quotes states and are characterized, much as are atomic states, by a principal quantum number and by orbital and total angular momentum quantum numbers. In turn other nuclear phenomena, such as the collective excitations known as giant resonances, can be understood in terms of the shell-model configurations and basic nuclear parameters. Radioactive nuclear beam studies of reactions of short-lived nuclides have already yielded results with important ramifications in both nuclear physics and astrophysics. Nuclear physicists expect unstable nuclides to exhibit unusual structures or features that may test their understanding of known nuclear phenomena at extreme conditions, and perhaps even to reveal previously unknown nuclear phenomena, Astrophysicists, for their part, have known for several decades that processes in both Big Bang nucleosynthesis and stellar nucleosynthesis involve short-lived nuclides. Indeed, the original motivation for developing radioactive nuclear beams was astrophysical. (author). 25 refs., 7 figs

Low-level radioactive waste management in France: two decades of experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marque, Y.

1993-01-01

Human activities generate wastes and these wastes have potential impacts on our environment and important implications for the twilight years of the twentieth century. Radioactive wastes, in particular, is a matter of considerable concern to the public, with emotional debate often clouding the legitimate need of the public for information for the subject. In France, the development of the nuclear power program and the widespread use of radioisotopes by the medical profession, industry and the research community called for a radioactive waste management program. In 1979, the French Government created ANDRA, the National Radioactive Waste Management Agency, which has the complete responsibility for radioactive waste disposal, including design, siting, construction and operation of waste disposal facilities. In 1991, the Waste Law reaffirmed ANDRA's principle functions and created the National Waste Observatory within ANDRA, whose the mission is to establish and maintain a current inventory of all radioactive waste storage and disposal sites on French territory. The present paper describes the generation of short-lived waste in France, the french policy on short-lived waste disposal, operation and cancellation of Manche plant, design and construction of Aube plant

Mass measurement of radioactive isotopes

CERN Document Server

Kluge, H J; Scheidenberger, C

2004-01-01

The highest precision in mass measurements on short-lived radionuclides is obtained using trapping and cooling techniques. Here, the experimental storage ring (ESR) at GSI/Darmstadt and the tandem Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN play an important role. Status and recent results on mass measurements of radioactive nuclides with ESR and ISOLTRAP are summarized.

Investigations of radioactivity level variations in Armenia after the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nalbandyan, A.

2006-01-01

The problem of radioactive pollution of biosphere has been acquiring a special topicality after nuclear weapon testing and NPP-induced accidents that have already brought to global pollution of the Earth with radioactive substances. One of visual examples of regional radioactive pollution is dispersion of emissions all over the territory of Central Europe after the Chernobyl accident, which aftermaths impacted Armenia, as well. Monitoring investigations in the Ararat Valley showed a precise peak of gross radioactivity of atmospheric fallout in 1986 - the year of Chernobyl accident. Gross mean annual radioactivity was established 1783 10 7 Bq/KXm 2 yr. Later, a sharp fall in the activity was observed. Mostly, radioactive fallout consisted of short-lived radionuclides. Measurements for 1986-1987 showed that gross β-radioactivity level in soils amounted to 977-1022 Bq/KXg, repeated measurements in 1991 allowed establishing 640-656 Bq/KXg. A precise indicator of radioactive emissions that reached Armenia after the Chernobyl accident was a short-lived radionuclide 134 Cs (T 1 /2=2.07 yr) identified in soils. Measurements made 2 years later showed half as much decay of 134 Cs, and in some points established were its traces only. 137 Cs/134 Cs ratio in varied 1.4 to 1.8 in atmospheric fallout and 2.1 to 33.4 in soils. Thus, monitoring investigations evidence a regional character of Chernobyl emission dispersion, this being proved by investigations of radioactivity level variations in Armenia, too

Cost benefit analysis, sustainability and long-lived radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkhout, F.

1994-01-01

The objective of this paper is to examine how far the sustainability concept and the technique of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can be applied to the problem of radioactive waste management. The paper begins with a slightly altered definition of the problem to the one carried in the Nea's background document (Nea 1994). A preliminary attempt is then be made to ascribe burdens to the various phases of long-lived radioactive waste management. The appropriateness of CBA and the sustainability concept for making decisions about long-term waste management policy is then discussed. The author ends with some conclusions about the appropriateness of systematic assessment approaches in the political process of constructing social consent for technological decisions. (O.L.). 12 refs., 1 tab

Measurements of astrophysical reaction rates for radioactive samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, P.E.; O'Brien, H.A.; Bowman, C.D.

1987-01-01

Reaction rates for both big-bang and stellar nucleosynthesis can be obtained from the measurement of (n,p) and (n,γ) cross sections for radioactive nuclei. In the past, large backgrounds associated with the sample activity limited these types of measurements to radioisotopes with very long half lives. The advent of the low-energy, high-intensity neutron source at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering CEnter (LANSCE) has greatly increased the number of nuclei which can be studied. Results of (n,p) measurements on samples with half lives as short as fifty-three days will be given. The astrophysics to be learned from these data will be discussed. Additional difficulties are encountered when making (n,γ) rather than (n,p) measurements. However, with a properly designed detector, and with the high peak neutron intensities now available, (n,γ) measurements can be made for nuclei with half lives as short as several weeks. Progress on the Los Alamos (n,γ) cross-section measurement program for radioactive samples will be discussed. 25 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

An integrated approach to the management of radioactive waste in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woollett, S.M.

2002-01-01

This paper draws attention to the practices and progress in radioactive waste management in Australia. A National Repository for the disposal of low-level and short-lived intermediate- level radioactive waste and a National Store for the storage of long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste are presently being established. This has necessitated considerable activity in addressing emerging issues in the management of radioactive waste. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has a major role in developing an integrated approach to manage radioactive waste in Australia. This approach begins with the development of a radioactive waste management policy and identification of the issues in radioactive waste management requiring attention. ARPANSA is developing national standards and guidance documents for the safe and responsible management of waste prior to its acceptance at the National Repository or National Store. This contributes to the Agency's promotion of uniformity of radiation protection and nuclear safety policy and practices across Australia's Commonwealth, State and Territory jurisdictions. (author)

Radon and its short-lived daughter products in the lower atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Servant, J.

1964-01-01

The variations of vertical and temporal distributions of natural radioactivity with geographical location in the lower atmospheric layers are shown. The content of radon and its short lived daughters products are measured. Radon content is measured continually with a new apparatus, the sensibility of which is 0,2.10 -11 Ci m -3 i.e. the fiftieth of the mean concentration near the soil, this apparatus allowed us to show that radioactive equilibrium between radon and its daughter products is realised when the atmosphere is stable. Air observations between 0 and 100 meters above the ground point out that radon and its decay products are valuable tracers to mark the stability of the atmosphere. Under very stable nighttime conditions the radon accumulates in the former 30 meters of the air layer, at sunrise it ascends and at 9 o'clock attains 100 meters high. The removal rate of the air in the lower atmosphere is computed from the movement of this radon mass, it is equal to 90 per cent for a summer day. We have show that this radon comes from the soil in which it diffuses by brownian motion the intensity of which varies with the water content of the soil, its value for June 1958 is 6,10 -17 Ci cm -2 s -1 and for January 1959 0.2,10 -17 Ci cm -2 s - 1. During the year 1958-1959 general mean of flux for the sedimentary soil studied is equal to 3. 8 ± 1.3, 10 -17 Ci cm -2 s -1 it is identical to the world wide mean computed by H. Israel. In a hilly site in the Morvan, air movements are well marked by this radioactivity. We observed from one hand downslope and up-slope breezes having, respectively, speeds of 0.2 m s -1 and 0.7 m s -1 and from the other hand by night, in the valley and with a light wind favours the stagnation of the air near the ground, a strong increase of the radioactivity which is proportional to the one of the granitic rocks of the region. The radon flux of this soil is 74,10 -17 Ci cm -2 s -1 and the radioactivity of the air can attain 1.5,10 -8 Ci m

Management of very low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapalain, E.; Damoy, J.; Joly, J.M.

2003-01-01

This document comprises 3 articles. The first article presents the concern of very low-level radioactive wastes generated in nuclear installations, the second article describes the management of the wastes issued from the dismantling operations of the ALS (linear accelerator of Saclay) and of the Saturn synchrotron both located in Saclay Cea's center. The last article presents the storage facility which is specifically dedicated to very low-level radioactive wastes. This storage facility, which is located at Morvilliers, near the 'Centre de l Aube' (used to store the low-, and medium-level, short-lived radioactive wastes), will receive the first packages next summer. Like the other storage facilities, it will be managed by ANDRA (national radioactive waste management agency)

Characterisation of long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the Nordic Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broden, K.; Carugati, S.; Brodersen, K.; Carlsson, T.; Viitanen, P.; Walderhaug, T.; Sneve, M.; Hornkjoel, S.; Backe, S.

1997-11-01

The present report is final report from a study on characterisation of radioactive waters in the Nordic countries. The study has mainly been focused on long-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Methods to measure or estimate the activity content and the general composition are discussed. Recommendations are given regarding characterisation of waste under treatment and characterisation of already produced waste packages. (au)

Characterisation of long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the Nordic Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broden, K. [Studsvik RadWaste AB, (El Salvador); Carugati, S.; Brodersen, K. [Forskningscenter Risoe, (Denmark); Carlsson, T.; Viitanen, P. [VVT, (Finland); Walderhaug, T. [Icelandic Radiation Protection Institute (Iceland); Sneve, M.; Hornkjoel, S. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Norway); Backe, S. [Institute for Energy Technology (Norway)

1997-11-01

The present report is final report from a study on characterisation of radioactive waters in the Nordic countries. The study has mainly been focused on long-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Methods to measure or estimate the activity content and the general composition are discussed. Recommendations are given regarding characterisation of waste under treatment and characterisation of already produced waste packages. (au).

Mass Measurement of Very Short Half-Lived Nuclei

CERN Document Server

Duma, M; Iacob, V E; Thibault, C

2002-01-01

The MISTRAL (Mass measurements at ISolde with a Transmission RAdiofrequency spectrometer on-Line) experiment exploits a rapid measurement technique to make accurate mass determinations of very short-lived nuclei. The physics goals are to elucidate new nuclear structure effects and constrain nuclear mass models in regions of interest to nuclear astrophysics.\\\\ \\\\The spectrometer, installed in May 97, performed as promised in the proposal with mass resolution exceeding 100,000. In its first experiment in July 1998, neutron-rich Na isotopes having half-lives as short as 31 ms were measured. A second experiment in November 1998 enabled us to improve the measurement precision of the isotopes $^{26-30}$Na to about 20 keV. The measurement program continues as experiment IS 373.

Assessment of the Eu migration experiments and their modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klotz, D.

2001-01-01

The humic acid transport of heavy metals in underground water was investigated in laboratory experiments using the lanthanide Eu in the form of 152 Eu 3+ , which is both a model heavy metal and an indicator for assessing the potential hazards of ultimate storage sites for radioactive waste [de

Radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomek, D.

1980-01-01

The prospects of nuclear power development in the USA up to 2000 and the problems of the fuel cycle high-level radioactive waste processing and storage are considered. The problems of liquid and solidified radioactive waste transportation and their disposal in salt deposits and other geologic formations are discussed. It is pointed out that the main part of the high-level radioactive wastes are produced at spent fuel reprocessing plants in the form of complex aqueous mixtures. These mixtures contain the decay products of about 35 isotopes which are the nuclear fuel fission products, about 18 actinides and their daughter products as well as corrosion products of fuel cans and structural materials and chemical reagents added in the process of fuel reprocessing. The high-level radioactive waste management includes the liquid waste cooling which is necessary for the short and middle living isotope decay, separation of some most dangerous components from the waste mixture, waste solidification, their storage and disposal. The conclusion is drawn that the seccessful solution of the high-level radioactive waste management problem will permit to solve the problem of the fuel cycle radioactive waste management as a whole. The salt deposits, shales and clays are the most suitable for radioactive waste disposal [ru

Determination of annual limit of intake for long-lived radioactive dust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ching, S.H.; Horvath, F.J.

1989-08-01

A method for the determination of the annual limit on intake (ALI) for long-lived radioactive dust that is associated with every step in the uranium production process is proposed. It is based on methodology indicated in ICRP 26. A sample calculation for the ALI of fresh yellowcake is provided to assist in explaining this method

ISOL science at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beene, James R [ORNL; Bardayan, Daniel W [ORNL; Galindo-Uribarri, Alfredo {nmn} [ORNL; Gross, Carl J [ORNL; Jones, K. L. [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Liang, J Felix [ORNL; Nazarewicz, Witold [ORNL; Stracener, Daniel W [ORNL; Tatum, B Alan [ORNL; Varner Jr, Robert L [ORNL

2011-01-01

The Holi eld Radioactive Ion Beam Facility, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is operated as a National User Facility for the U.S. Department of Energy, producing high quality ISOL beams of short-lived, radioactive nuclei for studies of exotic nuclei, astrophysics research, and various societal applications. The primary driver, the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron, produces rare isotopes by bombarding highly refractory targets with light ions. The radioactive isotopes are ionized, formed into a beam, mass selected, injected into the 25-MV Tandem, accelerated, and used in experiments. This article reviews HRIBF and its science.

Measurement of short-lived particles at PETRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saxon, D.H.

1987-04-01

The contribution of PETRA to the measurement of short-lived particles is reviewed with discussion of the detectors and analysis techniques. New results are presented on lifetimes of identified particles and the systematics of b-life measurement outlined. The first application of vertex-tagging to flavour separation is described. (author)

The ratio of long-lived to short-lived radon-222 progeny concentrations in ground-level air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoetzl, H.; Winkler, R.

1996-01-01

The ratio of 210 Pb air concentration to the short-lived radon ( 222 Rn) decay products concentration at ground level was investigated at a semi-rural location 10 km north of Munich, south Germany, for a period of 11 years (1982-1992). The average ratio from 132 monthly mean values has been found to be (7.5±2.2) x 10 -5 (arithmetic mean±S.D.). While the time series of the short-lived radon daughter concentration exhibit a distinct seasonal pattern with maxima mostly in October of each year, the course of 210 Pb air concentration is characterized by high values from October through February. Consequently, high ratios of 210 Pb to short-lived decay product concentration are often observed in the winter months of December-February. To study the influence of meteorological conditions on this behaviour, 210 Pb and 214 Pb concentrations were measured on a short-term basis with sampling intervals of 2-3 days from October 1991 to November 1992. The air concentrations obtained within those intervals were then correlated with actual meteorological parameters. On the base of this investigation the seasonal behaviour can essentially be explained by the more frequent inversion weather conditions in winter than in the summer months. At the same location, the average ratio of 210 Po to 210 Pb concentration in ground level air has been found to be 0.079 from 459 weakly mean values between 1976 and 1985. Hence, the corresponding average ratios of the short-lived radon daughters (EEC) to 210 Pb and 210 Po, were 1:7.5x10 -5 and 1:0.6 x 10 -5 , respectively

Nuclear radioactive techniques applied to materials research

CERN Document Server

Correia, João Guilherme; Wahl, Ulrich

2011-01-01

In this paper we review materials characterization techniques using radioactive isotopes at the ISOLDE/CERN facility. At ISOLDE intense beams of chemically clean radioactive isotopes are provided by selective ion-sources and high-resolution isotope separators, which are coupled on-line with particle accelerators. There, new experiments are performed by an increasing number of materials researchers, which use nuclear spectroscopic techniques such as Mössbauer, Perturbed Angular Correlations (PAC), beta-NMR and Emission Channeling with short-lived isotopes not available elsewhere. Additionally, diffusion studies and traditionally non-radioactive techniques as Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy, Hall effect and Photoluminescence measurements are performed on radioactive doped samples, providing in this way the element signature upon correlation of the time dependence of the signal with the isotope transmutation half-life. Current developments, applications and perspectives of using radioactive ion beams and tech...

Storage of solid and liquid radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matijasic, A.; Gacinovic, O.

1961-01-01

Solid radioactive waste collected during 1961 from the laboratories of the Institute amounted to 22.5 m 3 . This report contains data about activity of the waste collected from january to November 1961. About 70% of the waste are short lived radioactive material. Material was packed in metal barrels and stored in the radioactive storage in the Institute. There was no contamination of the personnel involved in these actions. Liquid radioactive wastes come from the Isotope production laboratory, laboratories using tracer techniques, reactor cooling; decontamination of the equipment. Liquid wastes from isotope production were collected in plastic bottles and stored. Waste water from the RA reactor were collected in special containers. After activity measurements this water was released into the sewage system since no activity was found. Table containing data on quantities and activity of radioactive effluents is included in this report

The ratio of long-lived to short-lived radon-222 progeny concentrations in ground-level air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoetzl, H.; Winkler, R. [Institut fuer Strahlenschutz, GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Neuherberg Oberschleissheim (Germany)

1996-02-09

The ratio of {sup 210}Pb air concentration to the short-lived radon ({sup 222}Rn) decay products concentration at ground level was investigated at a semi-rural location 10 km north of Munich, south Germany, for a period of 11 years (1982-1992). The average ratio from 132 monthly mean values has been found to be (7.5{+-}2.2) x 10{sup -5} (arithmetic mean{+-}S.D.). While the time series of the short-lived radon daughter concentration exhibit a distinct seasonal pattern with maxima mostly in October of each year, the course of {sup 210}Pb air concentration is characterized by high values from October through February. Consequently, high ratios of {sup 210}Pb to short-lived decay product concentration are often observed in the winter months of December-February. To study the influence of meteorological conditions on this behaviour, {sup 210}Pb and {sup 214}Pb concentrations were measured on a short-term basis with sampling intervals of 2-3 days from October 1991 to November 1992. The air concentrations obtained within those intervals were then correlated with actual meteorological parameters. On the base of this investigation the seasonal behaviour can essentially be explained by the more frequent inversion weather conditions in winter than in the summer months. At the same location, the average ratio of {sup 210}Po to {sup 210}Pb concentration in ground level air has been found to be 0.079 from 459 weakly mean values between 1976 and 1985. Hence, the corresponding average ratios of the short-lived radon daughters (EEC) to {sup 210}Pb and {sup 210}Po, were 1:7.5x10{sup -5} and 1:0.6 x 10{sup -5}, respectively.

Management of ''short-lifetime'' radioactive wastes, an industrial reality to safeguard the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faussat, A.

1992-01-01

On the occasion of the inauguration of the Aube waste storage center by A.Billardon, Vice Minister for Energy, the author reviews the management situation in France for short life radioactive wastes. The wastes are first defined and their characteristics explained, and then are discussed the general principles underlying the management of these wastes, which involves finding ways to avoid the dispersal of radioactive products into the environment. The author explains why the French have chosen surface storage, and then goes into the integrated management system developed to optimize the long-term management of short-term wastes on the technical and economic levels. The two storage centers existing in France (the Manche and Aube centers) are then described. The article winds up with a presentation of the system as it has been adapted abroad, and another possible adaptation for use in storing toxic industrial wastes. 2 figs., 3 photos

Management of disused long lived sealed radioactive sources (LLSRS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-06-01

The document provides advice the sealed source users and the national waste management organizations with the technical know-how on the management of disused and spent long lived sealed radioactive sources (LLSRS) and with the particular guidelines required for handling, conditioning for storage, and storage of these sources. The guidance is intended to assist in establishing compliance with the present standards, requirements, and adopted practices. It also provides background material for any possible technical assistance to developing countries and serves as a reference for technical staff involved with IAEA programmes on the subject. Because of the historic nature of many of the sources under this category and the lack of well developed technical procedures recognized on the international level, this publication can serve as a basis for establishing future handling and conditioning procedures. The LLSRS addressed in this publication are primarily those containing radionuclides having half-lives greater than 30 years. These sources may contain long lived alpha-emitters, mainly 238 Pu, 239 Pu, 237 Np, 241 Am, 226 Ra; beta-emitters: 14 C, and 63 Ni and could be neutron sources such as PuBe, RaBe and AmBe

Model of external exposure of population living in the areas subjected to radioactive contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golikov, V.Yu.; Balonov, M.I.

2002-01-01

In the paper, we formulated the general approach to assessment of external doses to population living in contaminated areas (the model equation and the set of parameters). The model parameters were assessed on the basis of results of monitoring in the environment, phantom experiments, and social and demographic information obtained on the contaminated areas. Verification of model assessments performed by comparison with measurement results of individual external doses in inhabitants within the thermoluminescent dosimetry method have shown that differences in dose assessments within both methods does not exceed 1.5 times at a confidence level of 95%. In the paper, we present the results illustrating specific features of external dose formation in population living in the areas of Russia subjected to radioactive contamination due to nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site, radioactive releases from the Mayak enterprise, and the Chernobyl accident. (author)

The stakes in managing radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boissier, F.

2012-01-01

Like any human activity, the nuclear industry produces wastes. The wastes containing radioactive substances have to be managed as a function of the related risks. Nowadays, 1.300.000 tons of radioactive wastes have accumulated in France. More than 90% of them have short half-lives and are stored on the ground by ANDRA (national agency for the management of radioactive wastes) on 2 sites in the Aube district. ANDRA also designs solutions for stocking the other wastes. Those with long half-lives and very high activity will be stored deep underground (500 meter deep) at Cigeo in the Meuse and Haute-Marne districts. The wastes with long half-lives but low activity (less than 10 5 decays/s for graphite and less than a few thousands decays/s for radium contaminated wastes) will be disposed in a specific way. Implementing a storage solution for each type of waste is necessary for the nuclear industry's sustainability, but it does not dispense the latter from pursuing its efforts to reduce the quantity and danger of the wastes produced. This holds in particular for the so-called 'fourth generation' of future installations. It is important to take stock of all the issues related to managing nuclear wastes

Soot and short-lived pollutants provide political opportunity

Science.gov (United States)

Victor, David G.; Zaelke, Durwood; Ramanathan, Veerabhadran

2015-09-01

Cutting levels of soot and other short-lived pollutants delivers tangible benefits and helps governments to build confidence that collective action on climate change is feasible. After the Paris climate meeting this December, actually reducing these pollutants will be essential to the credibility of the diplomatic process.

The environmental and ethical basis of the geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vuori, S.

1995-01-01

This partial translation into Finnish of the recently issued Collective Opinion of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is published here to provide general information to the members of the Finnish Nuclear Society. Full translation will be published later by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The collective opinion addresses the strategy for the final disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes seen from an environmental and ethical perspective, including considerations of equity and fairness within and between generations

Integrating Safety and Security in the EU: Past developments and suggested ways forward

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, Loris

2016-01-01

The Framework provided by the UN Model Regulation for the Transport of Dangerous Goods is the core of the legislation on transport of radioactive material (and all classes of dangerous goods) in the EU. This has resulted in European agreements ADR, RID and ADN for international transport as well as a single directive for land transport within the EU. In addition the EU has adopted a range of directives and regulations dealing specifically with several aspects of safety of nuclear and radioactive material. While the overall safety framework is now well developed and fairly stable, a security framework is evolving, based on the IAEA recommendations. In the EU, several initiatives such as the CBRN action plan and the review of the application of telematics for the transport of dangerous goods will most likely result in more developments coming on stream in the near future. This suggests that an integrated approach would be beneficial to avoid divergent developments and to keep track of new developments in an orderly fashion. An integrated approach for a safe and secure supply chain for radioactive material is proposed. The framework for a supply chain can be built around the extensive corpus of legislation/recommendations and concepts that are already existing (such as the “Known Consignor” in the framework of the EU aviation security or the “Authorised Economic Operator” in the EU Community Custom Code). This would allow for the need to maintain control of the numerous proposals that are taking place. Advantages and drawbacks are outlined. More generally, the development of an integrated safe and secure supply chain would bring clarity and transparency to the overall system of provisions for a safe and secure management of radioactive material. (author)

Short Lived Fission Product Yield Measurements in 235U, 238U and 239Pu

Science.gov (United States)

Silano, Jack; Tonchev, Anton; Tornow, Werner; Krishichayan, Fnu; Finch, Sean; Gooden, Matthew; Wilhelmy, Jerry

2017-09-01

Yields of short lived fission products (FPYs) with half lives of a few minutes to an hour contain a wealth of information about the fission process. Knowledge of short lived FPYs would contribute to existing data on longer lived FPY mass and charge distributions. Of particular interest are the relative yields between the ground states and isomeric states of FPYs since these isomeric ratios can be used to determine the angular momentum of the fragments. Over the past five years, a LLNL-TUNL-LANL collaboration has made precision measurements of FPYs from quasi-monoenergetic neutron induced fission of 235U, 238U and 239Pu. These efforts focused on longer lived FPYs, using a well characterized dual fission chamber and several days of neutron beam exposure. For the first time, this established technique will be applied to measuring short lived FPYs, with half lives of minutes to less than an hour. A feasibility study will be performed using irradiation times of < 1 hour, improving the sensitivity to short lived FPYs by limiting the buildup of long lived isotopes. Results from this exploratory study will be presented, and the implications for isomeric ratio measurements will be discussed. This work was performed under the auspices of US DOE by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Low-level radioactive waste management handbook series: Low-level radioactive waste management in medical and biomedical research institutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-03-01

Development of this handbook began in 1982 at the request of the Radhealth Branch of the California Department of Health Services. California Assembly Bill 1513 directed the DHS to ''evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of (1) reducing the volume, reactivity, and chemical and radioactive hazard of (low-level radioactive) waste and (2) substituting nonradioactive or short-lived radioactive materials for those radionuclides which require long-term isolation from the environment. A contract awarded to the University of California at Irvine-UCI (California Std. Agreement 79902), to develop a document focusing on methods for decreasing low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generation in institutions was a result of that directive. In early 1985, the US Department of Energy, through EG and G Idaho, Inc., contracted with UCI to expand, update, and revise the California text for national release

Ability of Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) to Transmute Long Lived Fission Fragments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Mong Giao; Nguyen Thi Ai Thu; Tu Thanh Danh; Tran Thanh Dung; Huynh, Thi Kim Chi

2010-12-01

This paper presents the research results of the possibility to transmute the long-lived radioactive isotopes into stable or short-lived, mainly the long-lived fission fragments as 99 Tc, 127 I, 129 I, 181 Ta, 107 Ag, 109 Ag by accelerator-driven systems. We use semi-empirical formulas to establish our calculating code with the support of computer programs. (author)

Applications of short lived nuclides in activation analysis, problems and progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grass, F [Atominstitut, Vienna (Austria)

1976-07-01

Short lived nuclides or isomeric transitions, respectively would have some advantages over long lived ones. Although we published a paper concerning a germanium-determination in iron meteorites some years ago, only few laboratories use this technique, the main reason being that the high matrix activity disturbs the measurement of energy-spectra. A multichannel analyzer in the time sequence mode enables Li-8 determination by a purely instrumental method which is therefore used more frequently. In the time sequence mode much higher counting rates up to 10 - 50 MHz are processed then by taking energy-spectra. This is the reason why activation analysis with short lived isomeric states is seldom applied when counting rate and pulse height are to be detected simultaneously. Exceptional difficulties are encountered in measurement of samples activated by a reactor pulse. Further difficulties arise from the fact that an optimal expelling time depends on the half life of the nuclide, and is more critical if the half life is short and the full width half maximum of the reactor pulse is small. Commercial Ge-Li-detectors can be used only at low counting rates, so that samples with high matrix activities cannot be measured. Modifying the electronic system enables registration of samples with high matrix activities. For short lived nuclides emitting hard beta-rays, e.g. B-12 or Li-8, a Cerenkov-detector is optimal. These problems are discussed in examples. (author)

Production and Use of Short-Lived Radioisotopes from Reactors. Vol. II. Proceedings of a Seminar on the Practical Applications of Short-Lived Radioisotopes Produced in Small Research Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1963-01-01

There are many radioisotope applications in which it is important that the radiation should rapidly fall to an insignificant level once the initial intense activity has served its purpose. Such applications include diagnostic tests in medicine, where it is essential to reduce the radiation dose to the patient to a minimum, non-destructive testing methods which must be applied without contaminating the material or product concerned, and repeated routine tests which are possible only if the residual activity from the previous test is negligible. All these applications call for radionuclides whose half- lives are measured in hours or even minutes. Similarly, in the new but increasingly important technique of activation analysis, whereby the quantities of elements present in a material can be determined by irradiating the material in a reactor and assaying the radionuclides produced, the latter are mainly short-lived and must be measured immediately. While the production of long-lived radionuclides can most economically be left to the large reactors at the main radioisotope centres, short-lived isotopes must be produced, or materials activation performed, in a reactor at or near the place of intended use or analysis; this, then, represents one of the most important uses for the large number of small reactors which have been installed in recent years, or will come into operation in the near future, in many parts of the world. Since in many countries the new problems of producing, separating and applying short-lived radioisotopes are being faced for the first time, the International Atomic Energy Agency believed it would be valuable to survey the state of the art by convening an international Seminar on Practical Applications of Short-lived Radioisotopes produced in Small Research Reactors at its Vienna headquarters in November, 1962. This Seminar provided an opportunity for the producers and users of short-lived radioisotopes from many countries to meet and discuss the

Production and Use of Short-Lived Radioisotopes from Reactors. Vol. II. Proceedings of a Seminar on the Practical Applications of Short-Lived Radioisotopes Produced in Small Research Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1963-03-15

There are many radioisotope applications in which it is important that the radiation should rapidly fall to an insignificant level once the initial intense activity has served its purpose. Such applications include diagnostic tests in medicine, where it is essential to reduce the radiation dose to the patient to a minimum, non-destructive testing methods which must be applied without contaminating the material or product concerned, and repeated routine tests which are possible only if the residual activity from the previous test is negligible. All these applications call for radionuclides whose half- lives are measured in hours or even minutes. Similarly, in the new but increasingly important technique of activation analysis, whereby the quantities of elements present in a material can be determined by irradiating the material in a reactor and assaying the radionuclides produced, the latter are mainly short-lived and must be measured immediately. While the production of long-lived radionuclides can most economically be left to the large reactors at the main radioisotope centres, short-lived isotopes must be produced, or materials activation performed, in a reactor at or near the place of intended use or analysis; this, then, represents one of the most important uses for the large number of small reactors which have been installed in recent years, or will come into operation in the near future, in many parts of the world. Since in many countries the new problems of producing, separating and applying short-lived radioisotopes are being faced for the first time, the International Atomic Energy Agency believed it would be valuable to survey the state of the art by convening an international Seminar on Practical Applications of Short-lived Radioisotopes produced in Small Research Reactors at its Vienna headquarters in November, 1962. This Seminar provided an opportunity for the producers and users of short-lived radioisotopes from many countries to meet and discuss the

Fast Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Short-Lived Radicals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pagsberg, Palle Bjørn; Wilbrandt, Robert Walter; Hansen, Karina Benthin

1976-01-01

We report the first application of pulsed resonance Raman spectroscopy to the study of short-lived free radicals produced by pulse radiolysis. A single pulse from a flash-lamp pumped tunable dye laser is used to excite the resonance Raman spectrum of the p-terphenyl anion radical with an initial...

The national scheme for monitoring radioactive fallout in milk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, B.M.R.

1979-01-01

The National Radiological Protection Board, Harwell, assumed responsibility for the national milk monitoring scheme on Jan. 1, 1979. Milk contamination provides a good guide to radioactivity in the British diet. Brief reference is made to U.K. surveys of radioactive fallout in human food prior to January 1979, and current arrangements for the sampling of milk in the U.K. are explained. The milk is analysed for 90 Sr, 137 Cs and stable calcium. Additional samples are collected to check for 131 I or other short-lived isotopes in the event of atmospheric nuclear tests or accidents involving possible releases of radioactivity. (U.K.)

The concept of responsibility to future generations for the management and storage of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vial, E.

2004-01-01

Recognition of the concept of responsibility to future generations seems, to imply the need to assume responsibility today for radioactive waste legacy of the past as well as for the waste that is currently being generated. However, this view of things, or more precisely this interpretation, is clouded by the lack of a clear definition of the concept of responsibility towards future generations. The concept has been used mainly in connection with long-lived radioactive wastes, which pose the greatest management problem as it so so far exceeds any human scale of reference. Consideration for future generations has to be a factor in the management of all types of radioactive waste, be it short, medium or long-lived waste or very low, low, intermediate or highly radioactive waste. As a general rule the concept of responsibility has made focus on long lived waste, whatever its level of radioactivity. The current alternatives for the management of radioactive waste may be: interim storage, final disposal, incineration, transmutation, to lower the radioactivity of the wastes. These different alternatives are discussed because they are not all genuine solutions and need to be deepened. (N.C.)

Intrinsic radioactivity of KSr2I5:Eu2+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rust, M.; Melcher, C.; Lukosi, E.

2016-01-01

A current need in nuclear security is an economical, yet high energy resolution (near 2%), scintillation detector suitable for gamma-ray spectroscopy. For current scintillators on the market, there is an inverse relationship between scintillator energy resolution and cost of production. A new promising scintillator, KSr 2 I 5 :Eu 2+ , under development at the University of Tennessee, has achieved an energy resolution of 2.4% at 662 keV at room temperature, with potential growth rates exceeding several millimeters per hour. However, the internal background due to the 40 K content could present a hurdle for effective source detection/identification in nuclear security applications. As a first step in addressing this question, this paper reports on a computational investigation of the intrinsic differential pulse height spectrum (DPHS) generated by 40 K within the KSr 2 I 5 :Eu 2+ scintillator as a function of crystal geometry. It was found that the DPHS remains relatively equal to a constant multiplicative factor of the negatron emission spectrum with a direct increase of the 1.46 MeV photopeak relative height to the negatron spectrum with volume. Further, peak pileup does not readily manifest itself for practical KSr 2 I 5 :Eu 2+ volumes.

Utilization of natural hematite as reactive barrier for immobilization of radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

El Afifi, E M; Attallah, M F; Borai, E H

2016-01-01

Potential utilization of hematite as a natural material for immobilization of long-lived radionuclides from radioactive liquid waste was investigated. Hematite ore has been characterized by different analytical tools such as Fourier transformer infrared (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal (DT) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET-surface area. In this study, europium was used as REEs(III) and as a homolog of Am(III)-isotopes (such as (241)Am of 432.6 y, (242m)Am of 141 y and (243)Am of 7370 y). Micro particles of the hematite ore were used for treatment of radioactive waste containing (152+154)Eu(III). The results indicated that 96% (4.1 × 10(4) Bq) of (152+154)Eu(III) was efficiently retained onto hematite ore. Kinetic experiments indicated that the processes could be simulated by a pseudo-second-order model and suggested that the process may be chemisorption in nature. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin models was investigated. It was found that Langmuir isotherm exhibited the best fit with the experimental results. It can be concluded that hematite is an economic and efficient reactive barrier for immobilization of long-lived radio isotopes of actinides and REEs(III). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National radioactive waste repository draft EIS. 2 volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Most Australians benefit either directly or indirectly from the medical, industrial and scientific use of radioactive materials. This use produces a small amount of radioactive waste, including low level and short-lived intermediate level radioactive waste such as lightly contaminated soil, plastic, paper, laboratory equipment, smoke detectors, exit signs and gauges.This waste is temporarily stored at more than 100 urban and rural locations around Australia, much of it in buildings that were neither designed nor located for the long-term storage of radioactive material and that are nearing or have reached capacity. Storage locations include hospitals, research institutions, and industry and government stores. Storing such waste in many locations in non-purpose built facilities potentially poses greater risk to the environment and people than disposing of the material in a national, purpose-built repository where the material can be safely managed and monitored. The objectives of the national repository are to: 1. strengthen Australia's radioactive waste management arrangements by promoting the safe and environmentally sound management of low level and short-lived intermediate level radioactive waste 2. provide safe containment of these wastes until the radioactivity has decayed to background levels. To meet these objectives, it is proposed to construct a national near-surface repository at either the preferred site on the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) or either of the two nearby alternative sites. The facility is not intended for the disposal of radioactive ores from mining. A national store for long-lived intermediate level waste will not be co-located with the national repository, and would be subject to a separate environmental assessment process.One preferred and two alternative sites have been selected for the national repository, following an extensive site selection process. All three sites are located in northern South Australia in a region known as central

Decommissioning Strategies Selection for Facilities Using Radioactive Material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husen Zamroni; Jaka Rachmadetin

2008-01-01

The facilities using radioactive material that have been stopped operation will require some form of the decommissioning for public and environment safety. The approaches are identified by three decommissioning strategies: immediate dismantling, deferred dismantling and entombment. If a facility undergoes immediate dismantling, most radio nuclides will have no such sufficient time to decay and therefore this strategy may not provide reduction in the worker exposure. A facility that undergoes deferred dismantling may advantage from the radioactive decay of residual radio nuclides during the long term storage period and entombment could be a viable option for other nuclear facilities containing only short lived or limited concentrations of long lived radionuclides. Mostly, only two types of the decommissioning used to be done in the world, immediate and deferred dismantling. (author)

Studies on short-lived fission products at the Mainz TRIGA reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trautmann, N.

1974-01-01

Neutron-rich nuclei of medium mass number are produced by thermal-neutron-induced fission of heavy elements, e.g., 235 U, 239 Pu, and 249 Cf. Pulse irradiations lead to an enhancement of the ratio of short-lived activities to the accompanying longer-lived components. One approach for investigating the properties of short-lived nuclei consists in a combination of rapid chemical separations with higher-resolution gamma spectroscopy. This is demonstrated by the isolation of neutron-rich isotopes of niobium by sorption on glass and of ruthenium by solvent extraction. Other rapid separation procedures from aqueous solutions are briefly summarized and a few examples for their application in nuclear fission- and delayed neutron studies are given. Some experiments with an on-line mass separator of the ISOLDE-type, using chemical targets, are described. (U.S.)

New Horizon in Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics Using Radioactive Nuclear Beams

Science.gov (United States)

Tanihata, Isao

Beams of β- radioactive nuclei, having a lifetime as short as 1 ms have been used for studies of the nuclear structure and reaction relevant to nucleosynthesis in the universe. In nuclear-structure studies, decoupling of the proton and neutron distributions in nuclei has been discovered. The decoupling appeared as neutron halos and neutron skins on the surface of neutron-rich unstable nuclei. In astrophysics, reaction cross sections have been determined for many key reactions of nucleosynthesis involving short-lived nuclei in the initial and final states. One such important reaction, 13N+p → 14O +γ, has been studied using beams of unstable 13N nuclei. Such studies became possible after the invention of beams of radioactive nuclei in the mid-80's. Before that, the available ion beams were restricted to ions of stable nuclei for obvious reasons. In the next section the production method of radioactive beams is presented, then a few selected studies using radioactive beams are discussed in the following sections. In the last section, some useful properties of radioactive nuclei for other applications is shown.

Overview of sources of radioactive particles of Nordic relevance as well as a short description of available particle characterisation techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, O.C.; Salbu, B.; Nygren, U.; Thaning, L.; Ramebaeck, H.; Sidhu, S.; Roos, P.; Poellaenen, R.; Ranebo, Y.; Holm, E.

2008-10-01

The present overview report show that there are many existing and potential sources of radioactive particle contamination of relevance to the Nordic countries. Following their release, radioactive particles represent point sources of short- and long-term radioecological significance, and the failure to recognise their presence may lead to significant errors in the short- and long-term impact assessments related to radioactive contamination at a particular site. Thus, there is a need of knowledge with respect to the probability, quantity and expected impact of radioactive particle formation and release in case of specified potential nuclear events (e.g. reactor accident or nuclear terrorism). Furthermore, knowledge with respect to the particle characteristics influencing transport, ecosystem transfer and biological effects is important. In this respect, it should be noted that an IAEA coordinated research project was running from 2000-2006 (IAEA CRP, 2001) focussing on characterisation and environmental impact of radioactive particles, while a new IAEA CRP focussing on the biological effects of radioactive particles will be launched in 2008. (au)

Overview of sources of radioactive particles of Nordic relevance as well as a short description of available particle characterisation techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lind, O.C.; Salbu, B. (Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences (Norway)); Nygren, U.; Thaning, L.; Ramebaeck, H. (Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI) (Sweden)); Sidhu, S. (Inst. for Energy Technology (Norway)); Roos, P. (Technical Univ. of Denmark. Risoe DTU, Roskilde (Denmark)); Poellaenen, R. (STUK (Finland)); Ranebo, Y.; Holm, E. (Univ. Lund (Sweden))

2008-10-15

The present overview report show that there are many existing and potential sources of radioactive particle contamination of relevance to the Nordic countries. Following their release, radioactive particles represent point sources of short- and long-term radioecological significance, and the failure to recognise their presence may lead to significant errors in the short- and long-term impact assessments related to radioactive contamination at a particular site. Thus, there is a need of knowledge with respect to the probability, quantity and expected impact of radioactive particle formation and release in case of specified potential nuclear events (e.g. reactor accident or nuclear terrorism). Furthermore, knowledge with respect to the particle characteristics influencing transport, ecosystem transfer and biological effects is important. In this respect, it should be noted that an IAEA coordinated research project was running from 2000-2006 (IAEA CRP, 2001) focussing on characterisation and environmental impact of radioactive particles, while a new IAEA CRP focussing on the biological effects of radioactive particles will be launched in 2008. (author)

Production of radioactive molecular beams for CERN-ISOLDE

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(SzGeCERN)703149; Kröll, Thorsten

SOLDE, the Isotope Separation On-Line facility, at CERN is a leading facility for the production of beams of exotic radioactive isotopes. Currently over 1000 different isotopes with half lives down to milliseconds can be extracted with beam intensities of up to 10^11 ions per second. However, due to the reactive target environment not all isotopes are extractable in sufficient amounts. In this work the extraction of short lived carbon and boron isotopes is investigated. Therefore a variety of experimental and computanional techniques have been used.

Development of a system for real-time measurements of metabolite transport in plants using short-lived positron-emitting radiotracers

Science.gov (United States)

Kiser, Matthew R.

be introduced to plants as biologically active molecules such as 11CO2, N13O-3, 18F--[H2O], and H152O . Plants for these studies are grown in controlled-environment chambers at the Phytotron. The chambers offer an array of control for temperature, humidity, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and light intensity. Additionally, the Phytotron houses one large reach-in growth chamber that is dedicated to this project for radioisotope labeling measurements. There are several important properties of short-lived positron-emitting radio-tracers that make them well suited for use in investigating metabolite transport in plants. First, because the molecular mass of a radioisotope-tagged compound is only minutely different from the corresponding stable compound, radiotracer substances should be metabolized and transported in plants the same as their non-radioactive counterparts. Second, because the relatively high energy gamma rays emitted from electron-positron annihilation are attenuated very little by plant tissue, the real-time distribution of a radiotracer can be measured in vivo in plants. Finally, the short radioactive half-lives of these isotopes allow for repeat measurements on the same plant in a short period of time. For example, in studies of short-term environmental changes on plant metabolite dynamics, a single plant can be labeled multiple times to measure its responses to different, environmental conditions. Also, different short-lived radiotracers can be applied to the same plant over a short period of time to investigate the transport and allocation of various metabolites. This newly developed system provides the capabilities for production of 11CO2 at TUNL, transfer of the 11CO 2 gas from the target area at TUNL to a radiation-shielded cryogenic trap at the Phytotron, labeling of photoassimilates with 11C, and in vivo gamma-ray detection for real-time measurements of the radiotracer distribution in small plants. The experimental techniques and instrumentation

Treatment of radioactive effluents at the Boris Kidric Institute; Postupak sa radioaktivnim elementima u Institutu Boris Kidric

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bojovic, P; Drobnik, S; Popara, D [Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, Beograd (Serbia and Montenegro)

1964-10-15

The paper describes the origin, composition and activity of radioactive effluents at the Boris Kidric Institute, their collection at the places or origin, transport to the place of disposal and treatment of some smaller quantities. Special attention has been paid to effluents with short-lived isotopes produced in the Laboratory for radioactive isotope production (author)

Ethical aspects of the disposal of long-lived radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCombie, C.

1997-01-01

Absolving waste management responsibilities requires consensus within the present, waste-producing society, but also fairness towards future generations. This situation has been discussed at length in the formulation of disposal strategies for long-lived radioactive waste, although some other activities practised today are likely to lead to much more dramatic, permanent changes to our environment. Drawing on recent publications on ethical aspects of waste disposal, this article provides an overview of the topic, highlighting both those principles for which there already is a consensus and those which are still regarded as controversial. (author) 3 figs., 1 tab., refs

Involvement of AVN as TSO in the safety analysis of radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelder, P. de; Nys, V.; Smidts, O.; Boeck, B. de

2004-01-01

In 1998, ONDRAF/NIRAS, the agency responsible for radioactive waste management in Belgium, was requested by the government to involve the nuclear safety authorities in its activities of safety evaluation of site-specific waste disposal options (deep or surface disposal) for the short-lived low-level waste. A working group was created in which ONDRAF/NIRAS, FANC (the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control) and AVN discuss different aspects of the ONDRAF/NIRAS program concerning the long-term management of short-lived low-level radioactive waste disposal. It includes also the review of technical safety assessments performed by ONDRAF/NIRAS or by contractors for ONDRAF/NIRAS. The involvement of AVN (the Belgian TSO) in the pre-project phase appears to be positive for all partners. Indeed, all felt the need for an independent actor, with a strong technical basis. Through this presentation, the experience and the topics discussed since 1998 will be developed. Mainly, the presentation will focus on the approach followed to develop competency in the radioactive waste field, on the discussions about the development of a regulatory framework adapted to final disposal of low-level radioactive waste, and on the technical regulatory positions developed so far. Also the experience related to the interaction with local stakeholders will be described. (orig.)

Short-lived positron emitter labeled radiotracers - present status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, J.S.; Wolf, A.P.

1982-01-01

The preparation of labelled compounds is important for the application of positron emission transaxial tomography (PETT) in biomedical sciences. This paper describes problems and progress in the synthesis of short-lived positron emitter ( 11 C, 18 F, 13 N) labelled tracers for PETT. Synthesis of labelled sugars, amino acids, and neurotransmitter receptors (pimozide and spiroperidol tagged with 11 C) is discussed in particular

Production of radioactive molecular beams for CERN-ISOLDE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seiffert, Christoph

2015-06-15

ISOLDE, the Isotope Separation On-Line facility, at CERN is a leading facility for the production of beams of exotic radioactive isotopes. Currently over 1000 different isotopes with half lives down to milliseconds can be extracted with beam intensities of up to 10{sup 11} ions per second. However, due to the reactive target environment not all isotopes are extractable in sufficient amounts. In this work the extraction of short lived carbon and boron isotopes is investigated. Therefore a variety of experimental and computational techniques have been used.

Fiscal 1982 progress report of 'comprehensive research on the management of long-lived radioactive wastes' in the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiguchi, Akira; Kosako, Toshiso

1983-01-01

In the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, the special research project ''Comprehensive Research on the Management of Long-lived Radioactive Wastes'' is carried out in the three-year period from fiscal 1982 to 1984. The works performed in the fiscal year 1982 are described individually, each short description on research purposes and contents, results, future plans, etc. the research works in the three fields of material science, biology and process technology are buffer materials in land disposal, canisters, corrosion of waste-container materials, thermal analysis of high-level wastes, effects of tritium on cells and marine life, biological effect of long-lived nuclides, separation of tritium wastes, actinoids and krypton-iodine, environmental migration of radionuclides, and accident analysis. (Mori, K.)

Radioactive waste programme in Latvia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmins, A.

2000-01-01

An overview is made on the use of radioactive sources and waste management in Latvia. Brief overview of the development of national legal documents - the framework law of environmental protection; international agreements; the new law on radiation safety and nuclear safety; regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers - is given. The regulatory infrastructure in the nearest future is outlined. The institutional framework for radioactive waste management is described. Basic design of the repository and radioactive waste inventory are also given. The activities on the EU DG Environment project CASIOPEE are reported

Public debate on radioactive wastes; Le debat public sur les dechets radioactifs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

The definition and implementation of safe and perennial solutions for the management of radioactive wastes is a necessity from the point of view of both the nuclear industrialists and the public authorities, but also of the overall French citizens. For the low- or medium-level or short living radioactive wastes, some solutions have been defined are are already implemented. On the other hand, no decision has been taken so far for the long living medium to high-level radioactive wastes. Researches are in progress in this domain according to 3 ways of research defined by the law from December 30, 1991: separation-transmutation, disposal in deep underground, and long duration surface or sub-surface storage. This paper presents in a digest way, the principle, the results obtained so far, and the perspectives of each of the three solutions under study. (J.S.)

Use of short-lived radionuclides in the agricultural and environmental sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krohn, K.A.

1985-01-01

In addition to their well-known uses in physiology, biochemistry, and medicine, short-lived radioisotopes have played an important part in promoting the authors knowledge of the agricultural and environmental sciences. Numerous investigators have found that the scientific rewards justify the additional demands associated with use of short-lived radioisotopes when novel or uniquely precise results can be achieved. This is best exemplified by examining the use of 13 N. Nitrogen-13 is the longest lived radioisotope of this very important element. The 10-min half-life of 13 N has required that the agricultural or environmental test model be brought to the laboratory where the isotope is made, but this has been done successfully in numerous instances. One major incentive for this research has probably been the fact that there is no analog of the very useful 14 C tracer to study nitrogen chemistry and biology

Strategy on radioactive waste management in Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poskas, P.; Adomaitis, J.E.

2003-01-01

In Lithuania about 70-80% of all electricity is generated at a single power station, Ignalian NPP which has two non-upgradable RBMK-1500 type reactors. The unit 1 will be closed by 2005. The decision on unit 2 should be made in Lithuanian Parliament very soon taking into consideration substantial long-term financial assistance from the EU, G7 and other states as well as international institutions. The Government approved the Strategy on Radioactive Waste Management in 2002. Objectives of this strategy are to develop the radioactive waste management infrastructure based on modern technologies and provide for the set of practical actions that shall bring management of radioactive waste in Lithuania in compliance with radioactive waste management principles of IAEA and with good practices in force in EU Member States. Ignalina NPP is undertaking a program of decommissioning support projects, financed by grants from the International Ignalina Decommissioning Support Fund, administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. This program comprises also the implementation of investment projects in a number of pre-decommissioning facilities including the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. (orig.)

Evaluation of induced radioactivity in 10 MeV-electron irradiated spices, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuta, Masakazu; Katayama, Tadashi; Ito, Norio; Mizohata, Akira; Matsunami, Tadao; Shibata, Setsuko; Toratani, Hirokazu; Takeda, Atsuhiko.

1994-01-01

Black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, ginger and turmeric were irradiated with 10 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator to a dose of 100 kGy and radioactivity was measured in order to estimate induced radioactivity in the irradiated foods. Induced radioactivity could not be detected significantly by γ-ray spectrometry in the irradiated samples except for spiked samples which contain some photonuclear target nuclides in the list of photonuclear reactions which could produce radioactivity below 10 MeV. From the amount of observed radioactivities of short-lived photonuclear products in the spiked samples and calculation of H 50 according to ICRP Publication 30, it was concluded that the induced radioactivity and its biological effects in the 10 MeV electron-irradiated natural samples were negligible in comparison with natural radioactivity from 40 K contained in the samples. (author)

The national plan of radioactive materials and wastes management. ASN's notice about the choice of the sites to be investigated in view of the setting up of a disposal facility for low activity/long living wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-07-01

This short presentation, given by the national safety authority (ASN) at the meeting of July 1, 2009 of the high committee for the nuclear safety transparency and information (HCTISN), presents, first, the second French national plan of radioactive materials and wastes management (PNGMDR) with its main priorities, and then, the choice of the sites to survey in view of the setting up of a disposal facility for low level/long living wastes. The ASN expresses its opinion about the criteria retained by the ANDRA (the national agency of radioactive waste management) to select the most suitable sites. (J.S.)

Sm isotope composition and Sm/Eu ratio determination in an irradiated 153Eu sample by ion exchange chromatography-quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with double spike isotope dilution technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourgeois, M.; Isnard, H.; Gourgiotis, A.; Stadelmann, G.; Gautier, C.; Mialle, S.; Nonell, A.; Chartier, F.

2011-01-01

Within the framework of the research undertaken by the French Atomic Energy Commission on transmutation of long-lived radionuclides, targets of highly enriched actinides and fission products were irradiated in the fast neutron reactor Phenix. Precise and accurate measurements of the isotopic and elemental composition of the enriched elements are therefore required. In order to obtain the uncertainties of several per mil and to reduce handling time and exposure to analyst on radioactive material, the on-line coupling of ion exchange chromatography with quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has been associated with the technique of the double spike isotope dilution. We present in this paper the results obtained on an irradiated sample of Europium oxide powder (enriched at 99.13% in 153 Eu). After irradiation of around 5 mg of Eu 2 O 3 powder the theoretical calculations predict the formation of several micrograms of gadolinium and samarium isotopes. In relation to the very high activity of the sample after irradiation and the very low quantity of Sm formed, the on-line ion exchange chromatography separation of Gd, Sm and Eu before Sm isotope ratio measurements has been developed for the quantification of the 152 Sm/ 153 Eu ratio. These on-line measurements were associated with the double spike isotope dilution technique after calibration of a 147 Sm/ 151 Eu spike solution. The external reproducibility of Sm isotopic ratios was determined to be around 0.5% (2 σ) resulting in a final uncertainty on the 152 Sm/ 153 Eu ratio of around 1% (2 σ). These on-line measurements present therefore a robust and high-throughput alternative to the thermal-ionisation mass spectrometry technique used so far in combination with off-line chromatographic separation, particularly in nuclear applications where characterisation of high activity sample solutions is required. (authors)

Historical review of short-lived isotope applications in New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

More, R.D.

1986-01-01

Production of short-lived isotopes, nitrogen 13, fluorine 18 and carbon 11 with a small Van de Graaff accelerator. Applications of these isotopes in uptake and photosynthetic translocation studies in plants, and fluorine tracing in dental studies

Radioactive fallout from Chinese nuclear weapons test of March 15, 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, C.W.

1979-01-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has measured the radionuclide concentration of short-lived debris from a radioactive cloud, produced by a nuclear weapons test conducted by the People's Republic of China on March 15, 1978. Analysis with a 40 cfm Sierra impactor showed that a large portion of the radioactivity was associated with relatively large particles. Surface air samples showed significant concentrations of 124 Sb. Samples of rain water from New York State showed that radioactivity arrived on the east coast at about the same time as peak debris levels were observed on the west coast. Highest concentrations of 131 I occurred along the Washington State--Canadian border

The Environmental and ethical basis of the geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. A collective opinion by the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The report presents a consensus position of the national authorities in their search for appropriate solutions in the safe disposal of radioactive wastes in the form of a Collective Opinion of the Radioactive waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. The Collective Opinion addresses the strategy for the final disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes seen from an environmental and ethical perspective, including considerations of equity and fairness within and between generations. (7 refs.)

A technique for the measurement of electron attachment to short-lived excited species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christophorou, L.G.; Pinnaduwage, L.A.; Bitouni, A.P.

1990-01-01

A technique is described for the measurement of electron attachment to short-lived (approx-lt 10 -9 s) excited species. Preliminary results are presented for photoenhanced electron attachment to short-lived electronically-excited states of triethylamine molecules produced by laser two-photon excitation. The attachment cross sections for these excited states are estimated to be >10 -11 cm 2 and are ∼10 7 larger compared to those for the unexcited (ground-state) molecules. 8 refs., 4 figs

Disentangling the effects of CO2 and short-lived climate forcer mitigation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rogelj, J.; Schaeffer, M.; Meinshausen, M.; Shindell, D.T.; Hare, W.; Klimont, Z.; Velders, G.J.M.; Amann, M.; Schellnhuber, H.J.

2014-01-01

Anthropogenic global warming is driven by emissions of a wide variety of radiative forcers ranging from very short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), like black carbon, to very long-lived, like CO2. These species are often released from common sources and are therefore intricately linked. However, for

Dynamics of neurotic frustration of teenagers living in radioactive contaminated regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obukhov, S.G.

1999-01-01

Clinical psycho pathologic and psychologic examination of 150 teenagers (236 boys and 274 girls) living in radioactive contaminated regions (contaminated density of cesium 137 was 1,5 - 22 Ci/km 2 ) was fulfilled for neurotic frustration dynamics determination. Neurotic disorders of various degrees (from subclinical ones to those clinically diagnosed) such as vegetative dysfunction and frustration of adaptation were revealed in 42% of the examined patients. Therapeutic and rehabilitation measures resulted in positive changes reflecting the psycho pathologic symptoms reduction and stabilisation of a psycho emotional and vegetative state

Status and challenges for radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riotte, H.

2011-01-01

In its 2008 Nuclear Energy Outlook the NEA reviewed the status of radioactive waste management world-wide and noted that the technology for disposal of short-lived low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste is well developed. The review concluded that all OECD countries with major nuclear programmes either operate corresponding waste disposal facilities or are in an advanced stage of developing them. By contrast, the developmental progress of HLW/SNF management programmes varies widely between countries; not to mention that there is currently no repository operating that could take spent nuclear fuel or high-level waste from reprocessing. In its collective opinion 'Moving forward with geological disposal' the NEA noted that deep underground disposal in geological formations is seen worldwide as the only sustainable endpoint for the management of these types of waste, as it affords unparalleled protection without reliance on active safety monitoring and controls. While waste management programmes in some countries are well matured and countries like Finland, France and Sweden aim to operate geologic repositories in the next decade, others need to develop their national strategies, plans and corresponding actions for managing radioactive waste further. Periodically reviewed national waste management plans, as legally required for EU member countries by a recent Directive, can provide a co-operation framework for all national institutional players and a means to measure progress. In implementing sustainable solutions for the long-term management of HLW/SNF, specific challenges lay in establishing an efficient policy and regulatory framework that (a) defines a desired level of safety over the various time scales to be considered and (b) allows for sustainable decision making procedures by involving public and stakeholder in a flexible, step-wise implementation process. Technical confidence in the safety of a repository needs to be demonstrated in a modern

Radioactive waste handling and disposal at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Haj, Abdalla N; Lobriguito, Aida M; Al Anazi, Ibrahim

2012-08-01

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) is the largest specialized medical center in Saudi Arabia. It performs highly specialized diagnostic imaging procedures with the use of various radionuclides required by sophisticated dual imaging systems. As a leading institution in cancer research, KFSHRC uses both long-lived and short-lived radionuclides. KFSHRC established the first cyclotron facility in the Middle East, which solved the in-house high demand for radionuclides and the difficulty in importing them. As both user and producer of high standard radiopharmaceuticals, KFSHRC generates large volumes of low and high level radioactive wastes. An old and small radioactive facility that was used for storage of radioactive waste was replaced with a bigger warehouse provided with facilities that will reduce radiation exposure of the staff, members of the public, and of the environment in the framework of "as low as reasonably achievable." The experiences and the effectiveness of the radiation protection program on handling and storage of radioactive wastes are presented.

Sizes and shapes of short-lived nuclei via laser spectroscopy. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, D.A.

1985-10-01

This project, a collaboration involving Iowa State University, Argonne National Lab., and the University of Minnesota, was aimed at the determination of properties of short-lived nuclei through their atomic hyperfine structure and optical isotope shifts. The basic approach was to use a cryogenic He-jet system to thermalize, neutralize, and transport radioactive nuclei produced online into a region suitable for laser spectroscopy. The photon burst method was then used for high sensitivity with the resulting continuous atomic beam. The experiment was located on beamline of the ANL superconducting heavy-ion accelerator. The He-jet system developed would reliably transport approx.10 2 nuclei into phase space useful for high resolution laser spectroscopy. The laser system developed could accurately and reproducibly sweep small frequency ranges for periods greater than or equal to1 day and sensitivity limits less than or equal to1 atom/s were achieved. However the nuclei were not transported as free atoms precluding nuclear determinations. Attempts to obtain free atoms by eliminating turbulence and contamination were not successful. Some of the high sensitivity spectroscopy techniques developed in this work are now being applied in a search for nuclear relics of the Big Bang and in studies of the photon statistics of light scattered by a single atom. 3 refs., 4 figs

Current status of high level radioactive waste disposal in Japan and foreign countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Satoru; Tanabe, Hiromi; Inagaki, Yusuke; Ishida, Hisahiro; Kato, Osamu; Kurata, Mitsuyuki; Yamachika, Hidehiko

2002-01-01

At a time point of 2002, there is no country actually disposing high level radioactive wastes into grounds, but in most of countries legislative preparation and practicing agents are carried out and site selection is promoted together with energetic advancement of its R and Ds. As disposal methods of the high level radioactive wastes, various methods such as space disposal, oceanic bottom disposal, ice bed disposal, ground disposal, and so on have been examined. And, a processing technology called partitioning and transmutation technology separating long-lived radionuclides from liquid high level radioactive waste and transmutation into short-lived or harmless radionuclides has also been studied. Here was introduced their wrestling conditions in Japan and main foreign countries, as a special issue of the Current status of high level radioactive waste disposal in Japan and foreign countries'. The high level radioactive wastes (glassification solids or spent nuclear fuels) are wastes always formed by nuclear power generation and establishment of technologies is an important subject for nuclear fuel cycle. (G.K.)

Andra - Everything you ever wanted to know about radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-08-01

Andra is a publicly owned industrial and commercial body, set up by the French act of 30 December 1991. Its role was expanded by the 2006 Planning Act on the long-term management of radioactive materials and waste. Andra is independent of the producers of radioactive waste, and is under the supervision of the ministries responsible for energy, research and the environment. Andra is responsible for identifying, implementing and guaranteeing safe management solutions for all French radioactive waste, in order to protect present and future generations from the risks inherent in such substances. Andra's role involves a number of activities: running the two existing above-ground disposal facilities in the Aube, the first one for low- and intermediate- level, short-lived waste (LILW-SL) and the other one for very-low-level waste (VLLW), the Cires facility; monitoring the Manche disposal facility, the CSM, France's first above-ground disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level waste, which is now closed; studying and designing disposal facilities for waste as yet without a special facility, that is: Low-level, long-lived waste (LLW-LL), High-level and intermediate-level long-lived waste (HLW, ILW-LL) - the Cigeo project; taking in radioactive waste from hospitals, research laboratories, universities and radioactive objects owned by private individuals (old luminous clocks and watches, health care equipment containing radium, natural laboratory salts, certain minerals, etc.); at the request of the owner or the authorities, cleaning up sites polluted by radioactivity; surveying and listing French radioactive waste and issuing the National Inventory of Radioactive Materials and Waste every three years; informing all members of the public by means of documents, exhibitions, visits to its facilities, etc.; preserving the memory of its centers; promoting and disseminating its know-how outside France. Contents: 1 - Andra, its role, its activities, its funding; 2

Safety of radioactive waste management in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raimbault, P.

2002-01-01

Radioactive waste produced in France vary considerably by their activity level, their half lives, their volume or even their nature. In order to manage them safely, the treatment and final disposal solution must be adapted to the type of waste considered by setting up specific waste management channels. A strong principle in France is that it is the responsibility of the nuclear operators as waste producers to dispose of their waste or have them disposed of in a suitable manner. The competent authorities regulate and control the radioactive waste management activities. At present, only short-lived low and intermediate level waste have a definitive solution, the surface repository, where adequate waste packages are disposed of in concrete structures. Other types of radioactive waste are in interim storage facilities at the production sites. For very low level waste coming mainly from dismantling of nuclear facilities a dedicated repository is planned to be built in the coming years. Dedicated repositories are also planned for radiferous, tritiated and graphite waste. As for high level waste and long-lived waste coming mainly from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel the disposal options are being sought along the lines specified by law 91-1381 concerning research on radioactive waste management, passed on December 30, 1991: research of solutions to partition and transmute long-lived radionuclides in the waste; studies of retrievable and non retrievable disposal in deep geological layers with the help of underground laboratories; studies of processes for conditioning and long term surface storage of these waste. In 2006, the French Parliament will assess the results of the research conducted by ANDRA relative to deep geological disposal as well as the work conducted by CEA in the two other areas of research and, if this research is conclusive, pass a law defining the final disposal option. (author)

Radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cluchet, J.; Roger, B.

1975-10-01

After mentioning the importance of the problem of the disposal of wastes produced in the electro-nuclear industry, a short reminder on a few laws of radioactivity (nature and energy of radiations, half-life) and on some basic dosimetry is given. The conditioning and storage procedures are then indicated for solid wastes. The more active fractions of liquid wastes are incorporated into blocks of glass, whereas the less active are first concentrated by chemical treatments or by evaporation. The concentrates are then embedded into concrete, asphalt or resins. Storage is done according to the nature of each type of wastes: on a hard-surfaced area or inside concrete-lined trenches for the lowest radioactivity, in pits for the others. Transuranium elements with very long half-lives are buried in very deep natural cavities which can shelter them for centuries. From the investigations conducted so far and from the experience already gained, it can be concluded that safe solutions are within our reach [fr

Evaluation of induced radioactivity in 10 MeV electron-irradiated spices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furuta, Masakazu; Ito, Norio; Mizohata, Akira; Matsunami, Tadao; Katayama, Tadashi; Toratani, Hirokazu (Osaka Prefectural Univ., Sakai (Japan). Research Inst. for Advanced Science and Technology); Takeda, Atsuhiko

1993-10-01

In order to make clear appreciation to induced radioactivity in the irradiated foods, photonuclear reactions which could produce radioactivity at energies up to 10 MeV were listed up from elemental compositions of black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, ginger and turmeric. The samples were irradiated with 10 MeV electron from a linear accelerator to a dose of 100 kGy and radioactivity was measured. Induced radioactivity could not be detected significantly by gamma-ray spectrometry and beta-ray counting in the irradiated samples except for spiked samples which contain some photonuclear target nuclides in the list. From the amount of observed radioactivities of short-lived photonuclear products in the spiked samples and calculation of H[sub 50] according to ICRP Publication 30, it was concluded that the induced radioactivity and its biological effects in the 10 MeV electron-irradiated natural samples were negligible in comparison with natural radioactivity from [sup 40]K contained in the samples. (J.P.N.).

A proposal for assessing study quality: Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument

Science.gov (United States)

LaKind, Judy S.; Sobus, Jon R.; Goodman, Michael; Barr, Dana Boyd; Fürst, Peter; Albertini, Richard J.; Arbuckle, Tye E.; Schoeters, Greet; Tan, Yu-Mei; Teeguarden, Justin; Tornero-Velez, Rogelio; Weisel, Clifford P.

2015-01-01

The quality of exposure assessment is a major determinant of the overall quality of any environmental epidemiology study. The use of biomonitoring as a tool for assessing exposure to ubiquitous chemicals with short physiologic half-lives began relatively recently. These chemicals present several challenges, including their presence in analytical laboratories and sampling equipment, difficulty in establishing temporal order in cross-sectional studies, short- and long-term variability in exposures and biomarker concentrations, and a paucity of information on the number of measurements required for proper exposure classification. To date, the scientific community has not developed a set of systematic guidelines for designing, implementing and interpreting studies of short-lived chemicals that use biomonitoring as the exposure metric or for evaluating the quality of this type of research for WOE assessments or for peer review of grants or publications. We describe key issues that affect epidemiology studies using biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals and propose a systematic instrument – the Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument – for evaluating the quality of research proposals and studies that incorporate biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals. Quality criteria for three areas considered fundamental to the evaluation of epidemiology studies that include biological measurements of short-lived chemicals are described: 1) biomarker selection and measurement, 2) study design and execution, and 3) general epidemiological study design considerations. We recognize that the development of an evaluative tool such as BEES-C is neither simple nor non-controversial. We hope and anticipate that the instrument will initiate further discussion/debate on this topic. PMID:25137624

Use of natural analogues to support radionuclide transport models for deep geological repositories for long lived radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-10-01

Plans to dispose high level and long lived radioactive wastes in deep geological repositories have raised a number of unique problems, mainly due to the very long time-scales which have to be considered. An important way to help to evaluate performance and provide confidence in the assessment of safety in the long term is to carry out natural analogue studies. Natural analogues can be regarded as long term natural experiments the results or outcome of which can be observed, but which, by definition, are uncontrolled by humans. Studies of natural analogues have been carried out for more than two decades, although the application of information from them is only relatively recently becoming scientifically well ordered. This report is part of a the IAEA's programme on radioactive waste management dealing with disposal system technology for high level and long lived radioactive waste. It presents the current status of natural analogue information in evaluating models for radionuclide transport by groundwater. In particular, emphasis is given to the most useful aspects of quantitative applications for model development and testing (geochemistry and coupled transport models). The report provides an overview of various natural analogues as reference for those planning to develop a research programme in this field. Recommendations are given on the use of natural analogues to engender confidence in the safety of disposal systems. This report is a follow up of Technical Reports Series No. 304 on Natural Analogues in Performance Assessments for the Disposal of Long Lived Radioactive Waste (1989)

Development of transmutation technologies of radioactive waste by actinoid hydride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konashi, Kenji; Matsui, Hideki; Yamawaki, Michio

2001-01-01

Two waste treatment methods, geological disposal and transmutation, have been studied. The transmutation method changes long-lived radioactive nuclides to short-lived one or stabilizes them by nuclear transformation. The transmutation by actinoid hydride is exactly alike that transformation method from actinoid disposal waste to Pu fuel. For this object, OMEGA project is processing now. The transmutation is difficult by two causes such as large amount of long-lived radioactive nuclides and not enough development of control technologies of nuclear reaction except atomic reactor. The transmutation using actinoid hydride has merits that the amount of actinoid charged in the target increases and the effect of thermal neutrons on fuel decreases depending on homogeneous transmutation velocity in the target. Development of stable actinoid hydride under the conditions of reactor temperature and irradiation environment is important. The experimental results of U-ZrH 1.6 are shown in this paper. The irradiation experiment using Th hydride has been proceeding. (S.Y.)

Waste management regulations and approaches in the EU: potential areas for enhancement or harmonization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salzer, Peter; Butler, Gregg; McGlynn, Grace; Chapman, Neil; McCombie, Charles

2007-01-01

This paper describes the results of a survey and study performed for the European Commission on 'Regulations Governing Radioactive Waste Disposal in EU Countries'. Its main purposes were to provide a survey of the regulations governing the disposal of all forms of radioactive waste in all EU Members States and, based on this study, to consider the potential for harmonization in different regulatory areas. Three key parts of the study are presented and the results discussed: collection and assessment of national data, including its verification by national stakeholders, application of multi-attribute analysis methodology to identify optimal waste classification scheme and a workshop of national authorities regulating disposal of radioactive waste. For five determined regulatory issues, the workshop carried out a 'strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats' (SWOT) analysis of the impacts of harmonization. (authors)

Applications of nuclear data on short-lived fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudstam, G.; Aagaard, P.; Aleklett, K.; Lund, E.

1981-01-01

The study of short-lived fission products gives information about the nuclear structure on the neutron-rich side of stability. The data are also of interest for various applications both to basic science and to nuclear technology. Some of these applications, taken up by the OSIRIS group at Studsvik, are described in the present contribution. (orig.)

Evaluation of sorptive flotation technique for enhanced removal of radioactive Eu(III) from aqueous solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ezzat, Amir; Saad, Ebtissam A. [Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Chemistry Dept.; Mahmoud, Mamdoh R. [Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt). Nuclear Chemistry Dept.; Soliman, Mohamed A. [Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt). Egypt Second Research Reactor; Kandil, Abdelhakim [Helwan Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Chemistry Dept.

2017-06-01

The present study aims at the removal of Eu(III) from aqueous solutions by sorptive flotation process. This process involves adsorption of Eu(III) onto bentonite and kaolinite clays followed by floatation using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) collectors. The effect of adsorption parameters (pH, contact time, clay weight, Eu(III) concentration, ionic strength) as well as flotation parameters (collector and frother concentrations, bubbling time, concentrations of foreign cations and anions) on the removal efficiency of Eu(III) were studied. The obtained results show that Eu(III) ions are removed efficiently (R% ∝ 95%) at pH=4 after 1 h shaking with clay and 15 min floatation. The adsorption kinetics of Eu(III) onto the employed clays followed the pseudo-second-order model and the equilibrium data fitted well to the Freundlich isotherm model.

Radioactive waste management in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faussat, A.

1988-01-01

Solutions for radioactive waste management are already in existence and applied on an industrial scale for short-lived wastes. France has acquired an aknowledged expertise on the international level and several foreign contemporaries are interested in the relevant techniques developed. An intensive international cooperation has allowed to define bases for an underground deep repository for long-lived wastes. It is therefore important to choose a site which meets the expected storage conditions. This development work has been started in several countries in a similar way and which should be completed by the beginning of the next century. An 'open channel' with the public about this emotional topic can smooth the way for solutions by which mankind can master its technological challenges

Reduction of airborne radioactive dust by means of a charged water spray.

Science.gov (United States)

Bigu, J; Grenier, M G

1989-07-01

An electrostatic precipitator based on charged water spray technology has been used in an underground uranium mine to control long-lived radioactive dust and short-lived aerosol concentration in a mine gallery where dust from a rock breaking/ore transportation operation was discharged. Two main sampling stations were established: one upstream of the dust precipitator and one downstream. In addition, dust samplers were placed at different locations between the dust discharge and the end of the mine gallery. Long-lived radioactive dust was measured using cascade impactors and nylon cyclone dust samplers, and measurement of the radioactivity on the samples was carried out by conventional methods. Radon and thoron progeny were estimated using standard techniques. Experiments were conducted under a variety of airflow conditions. A maximum radioactive dust reduction of about 40% (approximately 20% caused by gravitational settling) at a ventilation rate of 0.61 m3/sec was obtained as a result of the combined action of water scrubbing and electrostatic precipitation by the charged water spray electrostatic precipitator. This represents the optimum efficiency attained within the range of ventilation rates investigated. The dust reduction efficiency of the charged water spray decreased with increasing ventilation rate, i.e., decreasing air residence time, and hence, reduced dust cloud/charged water droplets mixing time.

Progress in long-lived radioactive waste management and disposal at the waste isolation pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Triay, I.R.; Matthews, M.L.; Eriksson, L.G.

2001-01-01

The Salado Formation is buried more than 350 m beneath the sands and cacti of the Chihuahuan Desert and hosts the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) deep geological repository at a depth of approximately 650 m. Since the WIPP repository is at least 10 years ahead of any other repository development for long-lived radioactive waste, other radioactive waste management organizations and institutions could benefit both scientifically and politically from sharing the lessons learned at WIPP. Benefits would include using existing expertise and facilities to cost-effectively address and solve program-specific issues and to train staff. The characteristics of the WIPP repository and infrastructure are described in this paper. (author)

Progress in long-lived radioactive waste management and disposal at the waste isolation pilot plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Triay, I R; Matthews, M L [U.S. Dept. of Energy Carlsbad Field Office, New Mexico (United States); Eriksson, L G [GRAM, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2001-07-01

The Salado Formation is buried more than 350 m beneath the sands and cacti of the Chihuahuan Desert and hosts the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) deep geological repository at a depth of approximately 650 m. Since the WIPP repository is at least 10 years ahead of any other repository development for long-lived radioactive waste, other radioactive waste management organizations and institutions could benefit both scientifically and politically from sharing the lessons learned at WIPP. Benefits would include using existing expertise and facilities to cost-effectively address and solve program-specific issues and to train staff. The characteristics of the WIPP repository and infrastructure are described in this paper. (author)

Environmental radioactivity. Measurement and monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-11-01

The contribution on environmental radioactivity covers the following issues: natural and artificial radioactivity; continuous monitoring of radioactivity; monitoring authorities and measurement; radioactivity in the living environment; radioactivity in food and feeding stuff; radioactivity of game meat and wild-growing mushrooms; radioactivity in mines; radioactivity in the research center Rossendorf.

Exhaust gas cleaning system for handling radioactive fission and activation gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Queiser, H.; Schwarz, H.

1975-01-01

An exhaust gas cleaning system utilizing the principle of delaying radioactive gases to permit their radioactive decay to a level acceptable for release to the atmosphere, comprising an adsorbent for adsorbing radioactive gas and a container for containing the adsorbent and for constraining gas to flow through the adsorbent, the adsorbent and the container forming simultaneously an adsorptive delay section and a mechanical delay section, by means of a predetermined ratio of volume of voids in the adsorbent to total volume of the container containing the adsorbent, for delaying radioactive gas to permit its radioactive decay to a level acceptable for release to the atmosphere is described. A method of using an adsorbent for cleaning a radioactive gas containing an isotope which is adsorbed by the adsorbent and containing an isotope whose adsorption by the adsorbent is low as compared to the isotope which is adsorbed and which is short-lived as compared to the isotope which is adsorbed, comprising constraining the gas to flow through the adsorbent with the retention time for the isotope which is adsorbed being at least the minimum for permitting radioactive decay to a level acceptable for release to the atmosphere and with the retention time for the isotope of relatively low adsorption and relatively short life being at least the minimum for permitting radioactive decay to a level acceptable for release to the atmosphere is also described. (U.S.)

Analysing environmental and fishing effects on a short-lived species ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Short-lived species are extremely dependent on the seasonal and interannual variability of environmental conditions, and determining their stock status is often difficult. This study investigates the effects of environmental variability and fishing pressure on the stock of octopus Octopus vulgaris in Senegalese waters over a ...

The safe transport of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swindell, G.E.

1975-01-01

In the course of transport by road, rail, sea and air, consignments of radioactive material are in close proximity to ordinary members of the public and in most cases they are loaded and unloaded by transport workers who have no special training or experience in the handling of radioactive substances. The materials being transported cover a wide variety - ranging from small batches of short-lived radionuclides used in medical practice which can be transported in small sealed lead pots in cardboard boxes, to large, extremely radioactive consignments of irradiated nuclear fuel in flasks weighing many tons. With the growing development of nuclear power programmes the transport of irradiated fuel is likely to increase markedly. It is clear that unless adequate regulations concerning the design and assembly of the packages containing these materials are precisely set down and strictly carried out, there would be a high probability that some of the radioactive contents would be released, leading to contamination of other transported goods and the general environment, and to the delivery of a radiation dose to the transport workers and the public. An additional requirement is that the transport should proceed smoothly and without delay. This is particularly important for radioactive materials of short half-life, which would lose significant amounts of their total activity in unnecessary delays at international boundaries. Therefore, it is essential that the regulations are also enforced, to ensure that the radioactive material is contained and the surrounding radiation level reduced to a value which poses no threat to other sensitive goods such as photographic film, or to transport workers and other passengers. These regulations should be as uniform as possible on an international basis, so that consignments can move freely from one country to another with as little delay as possible at the frontiers. (author)

Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and short-lived neutron activation analysis (NAA) applied to the characterization of legacy materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

English, G.A.; Firestone, R.B.; Perry, D.L.; Reijonen, J.P.; Ka-Ngo Leung; Garabedian, G.F.; Molnar, G.L.; Revay, Zs.

2008-01-01

Without quality historical records that provide the composition of legacy materials, the elemental and/or chemical characterization of such materials requires a manual analytical strategy that may expose the analyst to unknown toxicological hazards. In addition, much of the existing legacy inventory also incorporates radioactivity, and, although radiological composition may be determined by various nuclear-analytical methods, most importantly, gamma-spectroscopy, current methods of chemical characterization still require direct sample manipulation, thereby presenting special problems with broad implications for both the analyst and the environment. Alternately, prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) provides a 'single-shot' in-situ, non-destructive method that provides a complete assay of all major entrained elemental constituents. Additionally, neutron activation analysis (NAA) using short-lived activation products complements PGAA and is especially useful when NAA activation surpasses the PGAA in elemental sensitivity. (author)

Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and short-lived neutron activation analysis (NAA) applied to the characterization of legacy materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Firestone, Richard B; English, G.A.; Firestone, R.B.; Perry, D.L.; Reijonen, J.P.; Leung, Ka-Ngo; Garabedian, G.F.; Molnar, G.L.; Revay, Zs.

2008-01-01

Without quality historical records that provide the composition of legacy materials, the elemental and/or chemical characterization of such materials requires a manual analytical strategy that may expose the analyst to unknown toxicological hazards. In addition, much of the existing legacy inventory also incorporates radioactivity, and, although radiological composition may be determined by various nuclear-analytical methods, most importantly, gamma-spectroscopy, current methods of chemical characterization still require direct sample manipulation, thereby presenting special problems with broad implications for both the analyst and the environment. Alternately, prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) provides a 'single-shot' in-situ, non-destructive method that provides a complete assay of all major entrained elemental constituents.1-3. Additionally, neutron activation analysis (NAA) using short-lived activation products complements PGAA and is especially useful when NAA activation surpasses the PGAA in elemental sensitivity

Risk perception, risk evaluation and human values: cognitive bases of acceptability of a radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Earle, T.C.; Lindell, M.K.; Rankin, W.L.

1981-07-01

Public acceptance of radioactive waste management alternatives depends in part on public perception of the associated risks. Three aspects of those perceived risks were explored in this study: (1) synthetic measures of risk perception based on judgments of probability and consequences; (2) acceptability of hypothetical radioactive waste policies, and (3) effects of human values on risk perception. Both the work on synthetic measures of risk perception and on the acceptability of hypothetical policies included investigations of three categories of risk: (1) Short-term public risk (affecting persons living when the wastes are created), (2) Long-term public risk (affecting persons living after the time the wastes were created), and (3) Occupational risk (affecting persons working with the radioactive wastes). The human values work related to public risk perception in general, across categories of persons affected

Aube storage center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. Annual report 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-09-01

The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2010 activity report of the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety, security and radiation protection, environmental monitoring and effluents, public information and communication

Evaluation of induced radioactivity in 10 MeV-electron irradiated spices, (1); [gamma]-ray measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furuta, Masakazu; Katayama, Tadashi; Ito, Norio; Mizohata, Akira; Matsunami, Tadao; Shibata, Setsuko; Toratani, Hirokazu (Osaka Prefectural Univ., Sakai (Japan). Research Inst. for Advanced Science and Technology); Takeda, Atsuhiko

1994-02-01

Black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, ginger and turmeric were irradiated with 10 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator to a dose of 100 kGy and radioactivity was measured in order to estimate induced radioactivity in the irradiated foods. Induced radioactivity could not be detected significantly by [gamma]-ray spectrometry in the irradiated samples except for spiked samples which contain some photonuclear target nuclides in the list of photonuclear reactions which could produce radioactivity below 10 MeV. From the amount of observed radioactivities of short-lived photonuclear products in the spiked samples and calculation of H[sub 50] according to ICRP Publication 30, it was concluded that the induced radioactivity and its biological effects in the 10 MeV electron-irradiated natural samples were negligible in comparison with natural radioactivity from [sup 40]K contained in the samples. (author).

44 years of testing radioactive materials packages at ORNL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shappert, L.B.; Ludwig, S.B. [Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2004-07-01

This paper briefly reviews the package testing at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 1960 and then examines the trends in the testing activities that occurred during the same period. Radioactive material shipments have been made from ORNL since the 1940s. The first fully operating reactor built at the ORNL site was patterned after the graphite pile constructed by Enrico Fermi under Stagg Field in Chicago. After serving as a test bed for future reactors, it became useful as a producer of radioactive isotopes. The Isotopes Division was established at ORNL to furnish radioactive materials used in the medical community. Often these shipments have been transported by aircraft worldwide due to the short half-lives of many of the materials. This paper touches briefly on the lighter and smaller radioisotope packages that were being shipped from ORNL in large numbers and then deals with the testing of packages designed to handle large radioactive sources, such as spent fuel, and other fissile materials.

44 years of testing radioactive materials packages at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shappert, L.B.; Ludwig, S.B.

2004-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the package testing at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 1960 and then examines the trends in the testing activities that occurred during the same period. Radioactive material shipments have been made from ORNL since the 1940s. The first fully operating reactor built at the ORNL site was patterned after the graphite pile constructed by Enrico Fermi under Stagg Field in Chicago. After serving as a test bed for future reactors, it became useful as a producer of radioactive isotopes. The Isotopes Division was established at ORNL to furnish radioactive materials used in the medical community. Often these shipments have been transported by aircraft worldwide due to the short half-lives of many of the materials. This paper touches briefly on the lighter and smaller radioisotope packages that were being shipped from ORNL in large numbers and then deals with the testing of packages designed to handle large radioactive sources, such as spent fuel, and other fissile materials

Report of ICRP Task Group 80: 'radiological protection in geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste'.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, W

2012-01-01

The report of International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Task Group 80 entitled 'Radiological protection in geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste' updates and consolidates previous ICRP recommendations related to solid waste disposal (ICRP Publications 46, 77, and 81). The recommendations given in this report apply specifically to geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. The report explains how the 2007 system of radiological protection, described in ICRP Publication 103, can be applied in the context of the geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. The report is written as a self-standing document. It describes the different stages in the lifetime of a geological disposal facility, and addresses the application of relevant radiological protection principles for each stage depending on the various exposure situations that can be encountered. In particular, the crucial factor that influences application of the protection system over the different phases in the lifetime of a disposal facility is the level of oversight that is present. The level of oversight affects the capability to reduce or avoid exposures. Three main time frames have to be considered for the purpose of radiological protection: time of direct oversight when the disposal facility is being implemented and active oversight is taking place; time of indirect oversight when the disposal facility is sealed and indirect oversight is being exercised to provide additional assurance on behalf of the population; and time of no oversight when oversight is no longer exercised because memory is lost. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Determination of gamma-ray exposure rate from short-lived fission products under criticality accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagisawa, Hiroshi; Ohno, Akio; Aizawa, Eijyu

2002-01-01

For the assessment of γ-ray doses from short-lived fission products (FPs) under criticality accident conditions, γ-ray exposure rates varying with time were experimentally determined in the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY). The data were obtained by reactivity insertion in the range of 1.50 to 2.93$. It was clarified from the experiments that the contribution of γ-ray from short-lived FPs to total exposure during the experiments was evaluated to be 15 to 17%. Hence, the contribution cannot be neglected for the assessment of γ-ray doses under criticality accident conditions. Computational analyses also indicated that γ-ray exposure rates from short-lived FPs calculated with the Monte Carlo code, MCNP4B, and photon sources based on the latest FP decay data, the JENDL FP Decay Data File 2000, well agreed with the experimental results. The exposure rates were, however, extremely underestimated when the photon sources were obtained by the ORIGEN2 code. The underestimation is due to lack of energy-dependent photon emission data for major short-lived FP nuclides in the photon database attached to the ORIGEN2 code. It was also confirmed that the underestimation arose in 1,000 or less of time lapse after an initial power burst. (author)

A general dead-time correction method based on live-time stamping. Application to the measurement of short-lived radionuclides.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauvenet, B; Bobin, C; Bouchard, J

2017-12-01

Dead-time correction formulae are established in the general case of superimposed non-homogeneous Poisson processes. Based on the same principles as conventional live-timed counting, this method exploits the additional information made available using digital signal processing systems, and especially the possibility to store the time stamps of live-time intervals. No approximation needs to be made to obtain those formulae. Estimates of the variances of corrected rates are also presented. This method is applied to the activity measurement of short-lived radionuclides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School version of ESTE EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carny, P.; Suchon, D.; Chyly, M.; Smejkalova, E.; Fabova, V.

2008-01-01

ESTE EU is information system and software for radiological impacts assessment to the territory of the country in case of radiation accident inside/outside of the country .The program enables to model dispersion of radioactive clouds in small-scale and meso-scale. The system enables the user to estimate prediction of the source term (release to the atmosphere ) for any point of radiation/nuclear accident in Europe (for any point of the release, but especially for the sites of European power reactors ). The system enables to utilize results of real radiological monitoring in the process of source term estimation. Radiological impacts of release to the atmosphere are modelled and calculated across the Europe and displayed in the geographical information system (GIS). The school version of ESTE EU is intended for students of the universities which are interested in or could work in the field of emergency response, radiological and nuclear accidents, dispersion modelling, radiological impacts calculation and urgent or preventive protective measures implementation. The school version of ESTE EU is planned to be donated to specialized departments of faculties in Slovakia, Czech Republic, etc. System can be fully operated in Slovak, Czech or English language. (authors)

School version of ESTE EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carny, P.; Suchon, D.; Chyly, M.; Smejkalova, E.; Fabova, V.

2009-01-01

ESTE EU is information system and software for radiological impacts assessment to the territory of the country in case of radiation accident inside/outside of the country .The program enables to model dispersion of radioactive clouds in small-scale and meso-scale. The system enables the user to estimate prediction of the source term (release to the atmosphere ) for any point of radiation/nuclear accident in Europe (for any point of the release, but especially for the sites of European power reactors ). The system enables to utilize results of real radiological monitoring in the process of source term estimation. Radiological impacts of release to the atmosphere are modelled and calculated across the Europe and displayed in the geographical information system (GIS). The school version of ESTE EU is intended for students of the universities which are interested in or could work in the field of emergency response, radiological and nuclear accidents, dispersion modelling, radiological impacts calculation and urgent or preventive protective measures implementation. The school version of ESTE EU is planned to be donated to specialized departments of faculties in Slovakia, Czech Republic, etc. System can be fully operated in Slovak, Czech or English language. (authors)

Adsorption of radioactive ions on carnauba-wax aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, A.; Keyser, U. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany)

1998-08-01

A new method based on parallel aerosol size spectrometry and {gamma}-spectrometry is introduced for the measurement of short-lived radioactive ions, fission products or super-heavy elements produced at accelerators. Furthermore a new aerosol generator is presented.The possibility of controlling and changing the aerosol size distribution in the helium aerosol jet produced by the aerosol generator allows the process of the adsorption and transport of radioactive ions on aerosols to be examined for the first time. This is due to the fact that the distribution is surveyed on-line using a negligible part of its total volume and parallel to the transporting flow. The radioactivity of the transported ions is measured by a germanium detector in offline position. In principle, both an on- or offline position with narrow multi-detector geometry (e.g. {beta}{gamma}{gamma}) is possible. (orig.) With 8 figs., 14 refs.

Measuring radioactive half-lives via statistical sampling in practice

Science.gov (United States)

Lorusso, G.; Collins, S. M.; Jagan, K.; Hitt, G. W.; Sadek, A. M.; Aitken-Smith, P. M.; Bridi, D.; Keightley, J. D.

2017-10-01

The statistical sampling method for the measurement of radioactive decay half-lives exhibits intriguing features such as that the half-life is approximately the median of a distribution closely resembling a Cauchy distribution. Whilst initial theoretical considerations suggested that in certain cases the method could have significant advantages, accurate measurements by statistical sampling have proven difficult, for they require an exercise in non-standard statistical analysis. As a consequence, no half-life measurement using this method has yet been reported and no comparison with traditional methods has ever been made. We used a Monte Carlo approach to address these analysis difficulties, and present the first experimental measurement of a radioisotope half-life (211Pb) by statistical sampling in good agreement with the literature recommended value. Our work also focused on the comparison between statistical sampling and exponential regression analysis, and concluded that exponential regression achieves generally the highest accuracy.

Identification of short-lived neutron-rich ruthenium and rhodium isotopes in fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franz, G.; Herrmann, G.

1975-01-01

Short-lived ruthenium and rhodium isotopes ( 107 Ru, 108 Ru, 108 Rh, 109 Ru, 109 Rh, 110 Ru, 110 Rh, 111 Ru, 111 Rh, 112 Ru, 112 Rh, 113 Ru) have been separated from fission products by a rapid chemical procedure and identified by means of γ-ray spectroscopy. Nuclides with half-lives down to 3 sec were accessible. Ruthenium isotopes up to mass number 113 have been identified. (author)

Alarm inhalation dosemeter for long living radioactive dust due to an uncontrolled release

Science.gov (United States)

Streil, T.; Oeser, V.; Rambousky, R.; Buchholz, F. W.

2008-08-01

MyRIAM is the acronym for My Radioactivity In Air Monitor and points out that the device was designed for personal use to detect any radioactivity in the air at the place and at the moment of danger. The active air sampling process enables a detection limit several orders of magnitude below that of Gamma detectors. Therefore, it is the unique way to detect dangerous exposures in time. Individual protection against inhalation of long living radioactive dust (LLRD) saves human life and health. LLRD may occur in natural environment as well as in case of nuclear accidence or military and terrorist attacks. But in any case, the immediate warning of the population is of great importance. Keep in mind: it is very easy to avoid LLRD inhalation—but you have to recognize the imminent danger. The second requirement of gap-less documentation and reliable assessment of any derived LLRD exposure is building the link to Dosimetry applications. The paper demonstrates the possibility to design small and low cost air samplers, which can be used as personal alarm dosimeters and fulfil the requirements mentioned above. Several test measurements taken by a mobile phone sized MyRIAM, shall be used to demonstrate the correctness of this statement.

Alarm inhalation dosemeter for long living radioactive dust due to an uncontrolled release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streil, T.; Oeser, V.; Rambousky, R.; Buchholz, F. W.

2008-01-01

MyRIAM is the acronym for My Radioactivity In Air Monitor and points out that the device was designed for personal use to detect any radioactivity in the air at the place and at the moment of danger. The active air sampling process enables a detection limit several orders of magnitude below that of Gamma detectors. Therefore, it is the unique way to detect dangerous exposures in time.Individual protection against inhalation of long living radioactive dust (LLRD) saves human life and health. LLRD may occur in natural environment as well as in case of nuclear accidence or military and terrorist attacks. But in any case, the immediate warning of the population is of great importance. Keep in mind: it is very easy to avoid LLRD inhalation--but you have to recognize the imminent danger. The second requirement of gap-less documentation and reliable assessment of any derived LLRD exposure is building the link to Dosimetry applications.The paper demonstrates the possibility to design small and low cost air samplers, which can be used as personal alarm dosimeters and fulfil the requirements mentioned above.Several test measurements taken by a mobile phone sized MyRIAM, shall be used to demonstrate the correctness of this statement

Detailed description of a new management system for solid, short-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste at Ignalina NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The objective is to modify and extend the existing system at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) for handling of Very Low Level Waste (VLLW), short lived Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LLW-SL and ILW-SL). The ultimate aim is to reduce the risks and the influence on the personnel and the environment. According to the request from INPP, the modified system is based on the existence of an incineration plant. This system description describes treatment of non-combustible VLLW, LLW-SL and ILW-SL at a new waste handling facility (WHF) located in the future buildings 159/2 and 159/3 at the INPP. The new WHF is also handling Exempt Waste (EW), Reusable Material (RM) and Free Release Goods (FRG). The buildings 159/2 and 159/3 are future extensions of the existing building 159. (author)

Feasibility of short-lived radionuclide production at Fermilab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ten Haken, R.K.; Awschalom, M.; Rosenberg, I.

1985-01-01

The requirements for establishing a short-lived radionuclide production program at Fermilab are explored. Such a program would utilize beam from the linac portion of the injector much like the present Neutron Therapy Facility. It should be possible to use approximately 10 to 20 μA of 66-MeV protons for iodine-123 production. Several additional magnets would need to be acquired and a shielded target facility would need to be constructed. However, the feasibility of establishing such a program hinges upon its harmonious operation with the high energy physics program

The development of radioactive sample surrogates for training and exercises

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martha Finck; Bevin Brush; Dick Jansen; David Chamberlain; Don Dry; George Brooks; Margaret Goldberg

2012-03-01

The development of radioactive sample surrogates for training and exercises Source term information is required for to reconstruct a device used in a dispersed radiological dispersal device. Simulating a radioactive environment to train and exercise sampling and sample characterization methods with suitable sample materials is a continued challenge. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed and permitted a Radioactive Response Training Range (RRTR), an 800 acre test range that is approved for open air dispersal of activated KBr, for training first responders in the entry and exit from radioactively contaminated areas, and testing protocols for environmental sampling and field characterization. Members from the Department of Defense, Law Enforcement, and the Department of Energy participated in the first contamination exercise that was conducted at the RRTR in the July 2011. The range was contaminated using a short lived radioactive Br-82 isotope (activated KBr). Soil samples contaminated with KBr (dispersed as a solution) and glass particles containing activated potassium bromide that emulated dispersed radioactive materials (such as ceramic-based sealed source materials) were collected to assess environmental sampling and characterization techniques. This presentation summarizes the performance of a radioactive materials surrogate for use as a training aide for nuclear forensics.

Selective separation of Eu3+ using polymer-enhanced ultrafiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, M.V.

1994-03-01

A process to selectively remove 241 Am from liquid radioactive waste was investigated as an actinide separation method applicable to Hanford and other waste sites. The experimental procedures involved removal of Eu, a nonradioactive surrogate for Am, from aqueous solutions at pH 5 using organic polymers in conjunction with ultrafiltration. Commercially available polyacrylic acid (60,000 MW) and Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) synthesized E3 copolymer (∼10,000 MW) were tested. Test solutions containing 10 μg/mL of Eu were dosed vath each polymer at various concentrations in order to bind Eu (i.e., by complexation and/or cation exchange) for subsequent rejection by an ultrafiltration coupon. Test solutions were filtered with and without polymer to determine if enhanced Eu separation could be achieved from polymer treatment. Both polymers significantly increased Eu removal. Optimum concentrations were 20 μg/mL of polyacrylic acid and 100 μg/mL of E3 for 100% Eu rejection by the Amicon PM10 membrane at 55 psi. In addition to enhancement of removal, the polymers selectively bound Eu over Na, suggesting that selective separation of Eu was possible. This suggests that polymer-enhanced ultrafiltration is a potential process for separation of 241 Am from Hanford tank waste, further investigation of binding agents and membranes effective under very alkaline and high ionic strength is warranted. This process also has potential applications for selective separation of toxic metals from industrial process streams

Recent EU institutional developments in the nuclear field: outlook positive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivens, Richard

2008-01-01

The main topics presented and discussed are:European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF); European Nuclear Installations Safety Standards (ENISS); High Level Group on Safety and Radioactive Waste (HLG); Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP); Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SETP); EP report on Conventional Energies Forthcoming EU developments

Separation of short-lived fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamai, Tadaharu; Ohyoshi, Emiko; Ohyoshi, Akira; Kiso, Yoshiyuki; Shinagawa, Mutsuaki.

1976-01-01

A rbief review is presented on the various methods of separation available for both gaseous and liquid states, for the separation of short-lived fission products formed by binary fission of neutron irradiated uranium. The means available for gaseous state are the hot atom reaction, the hydride method and on-line mass separation. For liquid state, use can be made of precipitation, ionic or atomic exchange, solvent extraction and paper electrophoresis. Particular reference is made to electrophoretic separation of ions produced by fission in aqueous solution of uranium. The principle of electrophoretic separation and the procedures for separating the element of interest from the other fission products are outlined, with reference made to the results obtained with the method by the present authors. The elements in question are alkalines, alkaline earths, rare earths, halogens, selenium and

Measurements of Short-Lived Fission Isomers

Science.gov (United States)

Finch, Sean; Bhike, Megha; Howell, Calvin; Krishichayan, Fnu; Tornow, Werner

2016-09-01

Fission yields of the short lived isomers 134mTe (T1 / 2 = 162 ns) and 136mXe (T1 / 2 = 2 . 95 μs) were measured for 235U and 238U. The isomers were detected by the γ rays associated with the decay of the isomeric states using high-purity germanium detectors. Fission was induced using both monoenergetic γ rays and neutrons. At TUNL's High-Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HI γS), γ rays of 9 and 11 MeV were produced . Monoenergetic 8 MeV neutrons were produced at TUNL's tandem accelerator laboratory. Both beams were pulsed to allow for precise time-gated spectroscopy of both prompt and delayed γ rays following fission. This technique offers a non-destructive probe of special nuclear materials that is sensitive to the isotopic identity of the fissile material.

Organic synthesis with short-lived positron-emitting radioisotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pike, V.W.

1988-01-01

Chemistry with short-lived positron-emitting radioisotopes of the non-metals, principally 11 C, 13 N and 18 F, has burgeoned over the last decade. This has been almost entirely because of the emergence of positron emission tomography (PET) as a powerful non-invasive technique for investigating pathophysiology in living man. PET is essentially an external technique for the rapid serial reconstruction of the spatial distribution of any positron-emitting radioisotope that has been administered in vivo. Such a distribution is primarily governed by the chemical form in which the positron-emitting radioisotope is incorporated, and importantly for clinical research, is often perturbed by physical, biological or clinical factors. Judicious choice of the chemical form enables specific biological information to be obtained. For example, the labelling of glucose with a positron-emitting radioisotope could be expected to provide a radiopharmaceutical for the study of glucose utilisation in both health and disease. (author)

Development of Reference Source Terms for EU-APR1400

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, ByungIl; Lee, Chonghui; Lee, Dongsu; Ko, Heejin; Kang, Sangho [KEPCO Engineering and Construction Co. Inc., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

These source terms are developed for the typical U. S. NPP and do not reflect the design characteristics of EU-APR1400 (1,400 MWe PWR) which will be applied for the EUR certification in European countries. The process of developing the RST for EU-APR1400 is to undergo a similar process that NUREG-1465 had gone through when it came out with its proposed source terms. The purpose of this study is to develop the EU-APR1400 design-specific RST complied with the EUR. The Large LOCA is the reference equence used in the NUREG-1465 evaluation, whereas the EUAPR1400 risk-significant sequences are dominated by small LOCA and non-LOCA sequences. Moreover, when considering the EU-APR1400 has many design features to mitigate the consequences of severe accident phenomena, it is not surprising that the aspects of both release fractions and durations are distinctly different from NUREG-1465. This RST will be continuously updated to reflect to the design features of EU-APR1400, and then, be used as the reference for design purposes such as criteria satisfaction of radioactivity releases, equipment survivability, control room habitability for severe accident, and so on.

Production of radioactive nuclides in inverse reaction kinematics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traykov, E.; Rogachevskiy, A.; Bosswell, M.; Dammalapati, U.; Dendooven, P.; Dermois, O.C.; Jungmann, K.; Onderwater, C.J.G.; Sohani, M.; Willmann, L.; Wilschut, H.W.; Young, A.R.

2007-01-01

Efficient production of short-lived radioactive isotopes in inverse reaction kinematics is an important technique for various applications. It is particularly relevant when the isotope of interest is only a few nucleons away from a stable isotope. In this article production via charge exchange and stripping reactions in combination with a magnetic separator is explored. The relation between the separator transmission efficiency, the production yield, and the choice of beam energy is discussed. The results of some exploratory experiments will be presented

Radioactive particles after different nuclear events in the USSR (overview and modern data)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordeev, S.K.; Stukin, E.D.; Kvasnikova, E.V. [Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2004-07-01

Institute of Global Climate and Ecology participated in all stages of investigations concerning spreading of the radioactive particles formed after nuclear explosions. Since 1963 the radioactive particles from the surface nuclear explosions on the Semipalatinsk Test Site were investigated. Since 1964 the study of the environmental contamination from the underground nuclear explosions (including the cratering nuclear explosions) was carried out. Simultaneously the secondary radioactive aerosols released into the atmosphere from ventilated underground explosions were investigated. Since 1986 the forming and spreading of the radioactive aerosols from Chernobyl accident was studied. An overview of retrospective data will be presented. For example, the fragmentation radionuclides {sup 90}Sr, {sup 137}Cs and {sup 155}Eu, radionuclides induced by neutrons {sup 60}Co, {sup 152}Eu, {sup 154}Eu and transuranium radionuclides {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am were estimated in 15 particles of August, 29, 1949 explosion using the semiconductor spectrometry and radiochemical analysis. Data collection include the samples taken on local traces of ground and underground excavation nuclear explosions, this information will be added by the modern data from soil samples near '1004' explosion (lake Chagan), October 2003. The results of comparison of radionuclide fractionation in the radioactive particles in slag from cratering nuclear explosions and in melt samples will be presented. Main results obtained under the IAEA Research Contract no. 11468. (author)

Speciation analysis on Eu(3) in aqueous solution using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hotokezaka, H.; Tanaka, S.; Nagasaki, S.

2001-01-01

Investigation of the chemical behaviour of lanthanides and actinides in the geosphere is important for the safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal. However, determination of speciation for lanthanides and actinides is difficult, because it is too hard to distinguish between metal ion and colloidal metal in aqueous solution. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can detect both ions and microparticles of metals in aqueous solution, especially, high sensitive to microparticles. In this study, we analysed Eu(III) ion and Eu 2 O 3 particle in aqueous solution by LIBS, and measured the hydrolysis behaviour of Eu(III) in aqueous solution. Furthermore, we tried to detect the plasma emission of Eu(III) ions sorbed on TiO 2 particles, and also tried to observe the adsorption behaviour of Eu(III) ions onto TiO 2 particles in aqueous solution. (authors)

Short-lived brain state after cued motor imagery in naive subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pfurtscheller, G.; Scherer, R.; Müller-Putz, G.R.; Lopes da Silva, F.H.

2008-01-01

Multi-channel electroencephalography recordings have shown that a visual cue, indicating right hand, left hand or foot motor imagery, can induce a short-lived brain state in the order of about 500 ms. In the present study, 10 able-bodied subjects without any motor imagery experience (naive subjects)

Passive Mobile Bandwidth Classification Using Short Lived TCP Connections

OpenAIRE

Michelinakis, Foivos; Kreitz, Gunnar; Petrocco, Riccardo; Zhang, Boxun; Widmer, Joerg

2015-01-01

Consumption of multimedia content is moving from a residential environment to mobile phones. Optimizing Quality of Experience—smooth, quick, and high quality playback—is more difficult in this setting, due to the highly dynamic nature of wireless links. A key requirement for achieving this goal is estimating the available bandwidth of mobile devices. Ideally, this should be done quickly and with low overhead. One challenge is that the majority of connections on mobiles are short-lived TCP con...

Impact of Eu(III) on mammalian cells as a function of its speciation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sachs, Susanne; Heller, Anne; Geipel, Gerhard; Bernhard, Gert [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Bautzner Landstr. 400, 01328 Dresden (Germany)

2014-07-01

In the case of the accidental release of long-lived radionuclides, e.g., actinides, into the environment, knowledge of their behavior in bio-systems is necessary to asses and to prevent radiological and chemical induced adverse health effects. This includes knowledge of the bioavailability and chemo-/radio-toxicity of these elements for/onto cells, which are governed to a large extent by their speciation [1,2]. In order to gain a better process understanding, we study the interaction of trivalent actinides/lanthanides with mammalian cells on a cellular level combining biochemical and analytical methods. Results of these studies can contribute to the estimation of low dose effects and the development of new decontamination strategies. The cellular tolerance of FaDu cells (human squamous cell carcinoma cell line) toward Eu(III) as an analog for trivalent actinides as well as its uptake into the cells has been studied as a function of the Eu(III) concentration and nutrient composition. To differentiate between chemo-toxic and radio-toxic effects of Eu(III), {sup 152}Eu (β{sup -}, ε) was applied as radioactive tracer besides europium with natural isotope composition. The Eu(III) speciation in the cell culture media has been investigated by time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy as well as by solubility studies in combination with ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation, cation and anion analysis. These results are used to correlate cytotoxicity and uptake of Eu(III) on/into the cells with its chemical speciation in the nutrient. Presently, we are studying the interaction of Eu(III) with NRK-52E cells (rat kidney epithelial-like cells). The results of these studies will be discussed and compared to those obtained with FaDu cells. From the studies with FaDu cells it was concluded that the Eu(III) cytotoxicity onto these cells depends on the Eu(III) concentration and is influenced by its chemical speciation. This was also reported, for instance, for the

Progress on the national low level radioactive waste repository and national intermediate level waste store

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, C.

2003-01-01

The Australian Government is committed to establishing two purpose-built facilities for the management of Australia's radioactive waste; the national repository for disposal of low level and short-lived intermediate level ('low level') waste, and the national store for storage of long-lived intermediate level ('intermediate level') waste. It is strongly in the interests of public security and safety to secure radioactive waste by disposal or storage in facilities specially designed for this purpose. The current arrangements where waste is stored under ad hoc arrangements at hundreds of sites around Australia does not represent international best practice in radioactive waste management. Environmental approval has been obtained for the national repository to be located at Site 40a, 20 km east of Woomera in South Australia, and licences are currently being sought from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to site, construct and operate the facility. The national repository may be operating in 2004 subject to obtaining the required licences. The national store will be located on Australian Government land and house intermediate level waste produced by Australian Government departments and agencies. The national store will not be located in South Australia. Short-listing of potentially suitable sites is expected to be completed soon

Safety Aspects in Radioactive Waste Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter W. Brennecke

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, within the framework of national as well as international programmes, notable advances and considerable experience have been reached, particularly in minimising of the production of radioactive wastes, conditioning and disposal of short-lived, low and intermediate level waste, vitrification of fission product solutions on an industrial scale and engineered storage of long-lived high level wastes, i.e. vitrified waste and spent nuclear fuel. Based on such results, near-surface repositories have successfully been operated in many countries. In contrast to that, the disposal of high level radioactive waste is still a scientific and technical challenge in many countries using the nuclear power for the electricity generation. Siting, planning and construction of repositories for the high level wastes in geological formations are gradually advancing. The site selection, the evaluation of feasible sites as well as the development of safety cases and performance of site-specific safety assessments are essential in preparing the realization of such a repository. In addition to the scientific-technical areas, issues regarding economical, environmental, ethical and political aspects have been considered increasingly during the last years. Taking differences in the national approaches, practices and the constraints into account, it is to be recognised that future developments and decisions will have to be extended in order to include further important aspects and, finally, to enhance the acceptance and confidence in the safety-related planning work as well as in the proposed radioactive waste management and disposal solutions.

Radioactive materials in ashes from peat fired plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erlandsson, B.; Hedvall, R.

1984-11-01

Measurements of the gamma radiation have been used for determination of radioactive materials in peat ashes from five Swedish heating plants. The results show that the amount of radioactive materials was almost the same in all samples. The concentration of 125 Sb, 137 Cs, 144 Cs and 155 Eu were in good conformity with the concentrations found in the environment. The 235 U-concentration was hardly possible to measure. (Edv)

Treatment of radioactive waste - Routine or challenge? Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The seminar had the following topics: Proposal for new legislation covering radioactive waste management in the EU, new requirements preparations for the later repository, efficient and cost effective treatment of radioactive waste water, intermediate level waste cementation, incineration of spent ion exchange resins in a triphasic mixture, application of THOR-technology on resins, new development for transportation and storage of reactor vessel parts, and conditioning of nuclear fuel containing wastes. (uke)

Radioactivity in Trinitite six decades later

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parekh, Pravin P.; Semkow, Thomas M.; Torres, Miguel A.; Haines, Douglas K.; Cooper, Joseph M.; Rosenberg, Peter M.; Kitto, Michael E.

2006-01-01

The first nuclear explosion test, named the Trinity test, was conducted on July 16, 1945 near Alamogordo, New Mexico. In the tremendous heat of the explosion, the radioactive debris fused with the local soil into a glassy material named Trinitite. Selected Trinitite samples from ground zero (GZ) of the test site were investigated in detail for radioactivity. The techniques used included α spectrometry, high-efficiency γ-ray spectrometry, and low-background β counting, following the radiochemistry for selected radionuclides. Specific activities were determined for fission products ( 9 Sr, 137 Cs), activation products ( 6 Co, 133 Ba, 152 Eu, 154 Eu, 238 Pu, 241 Pu), and the remnants of the nuclear fuel ( 239 Pu, 24 Pu). Additionally, specific activities of three natural radionuclides ( 4 K, 232 Th, 238 U) and their progeny were measured. The determined specific activities of radionuclides and their relationships are interpreted in the context of the fission process, chemical behavior of the elements, as well as the nuclear explosion phenomenology

Method to Reduce Long-lived Fission Products by Nuclear Transmutations with Fast Spectrum Reactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiba, Satoshi; Wakabayashi, Toshio; Tachi, Yoshiaki; Takaki, Naoyuki; Terashima, Atsunori; Okumura, Shin; Yoshida, Tadashi

2017-10-24

Transmutation of long-lived fission products (LLFPs: 79 Se, 93 Zr, 99 Tc, 107 Pd, 129 I, and 135 Cs) into short-lived or non-radioactive nuclides by fast neutron spectrum reactors without isotope separation has been proposed as a solution to the problem of radioactive wastes disposal. Despite investigation of many methods, such transmutation remains technologically difficult. To establish an effective and efficient transmutation system, we propose a novel neutron moderator material, yttrium deuteride (YD 2 ), to soften the neutron spectrum leaking from the reactor core. Neutron energy spectra and effective half-lives of LLFPs, transmutation rates, and support ratios were evaluated with the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code MVP-II/MVP-BURN and the JENDL-4.0 cross section library. With the YD 2 moderator in the radial blanket and shield regions, effective half-lives drastically decreased from 106 to 102 years and the support ratios reached 1.0 for all six LLFPs. This successful development and implementation of a transmutation system for LLFPs without isotope separation contributes to a the ability of fast spectrum reactors to reduce radioactive waste by consuming their own LLFPs.

Risk perception, risk evaluation and human values: cognitive bases of acceptability of a radioactive waste repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Earle, T.C.; Lindell, M.K.; Rankin, W.L.

1981-07-01

Public acceptance of radioactive waste management alternatives depends in part on public perception of the associated risks. Three aspects of those perceived risks were explored in this study: (1) synthetic measures of risk perception based on judgments of probability and consequences; (2) acceptability of hypothetical radioactive waste policies, and (3) effects of human values on risk perception. Both the work on synthetic measures of risk perception and on the acceptability of hypothetical policies included investigations of three categories of risk: (1) Short-term public risk (affecting persons living when the wastes are created), (2) Long-term public risk (affecting persons living after the time the wastes were created), and (3) Occupational risk (affecting persons working with the radioactive wastes). The human values work related to public risk perception in general, across categories of persons affected. Respondents were selected according to a purposive sampling strategy.

The development of radioactive sample surrogates for training and exercises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kevin Carney; Martha Finck; Christopher McGrath; Bevin Brush; Dick Jansen; Donald Dry; George Brooks; David Chamberlain

2013-01-01

Source term information is required for to reconstruct a device used in a dispersed radiological dispersal device. Simulating a radioactive environment to train and exercise sampling and sample characterization methods with suitable sample materials is a continued challenge. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed and permitted a radioactive response training range (RRTR), an 800 acre test range that is approved for open air dispersal of activated KBr, for training first responders in the entry and exit from radioactively contaminated areas, and testing protocols for environmental sampling and field characterization. Members from the Department of Defense, Law Enforcement, and the Department of Energy participated in the first contamination exercise that was conducted at the RRTR in the July 2011. The range was contaminated using a short lived radioactive 82 Br isotope (activated KBr). Soil samples contaminated with KBr (dispersed as a solution) and glass particles containing activated potassium bromide that emulated dispersed radioactive materials (such as ceramic-based sealed source materials) were collected to assess environmental sampling and characterization techniques. This presentation summarizes the performance of a radioactive materials surrogate for use as a training aide for nuclear forensics. (author)

Estimation of radioactive contamination of soils from the "Balapan" and the "Experimental field" technical areas of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

Science.gov (United States)

Evseeva, T; Belykh, E; Geras'kin, S; Majstrenko, T

2012-07-01

In spite of the long history of the research, radioactive contamination of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (SNTS) in the Republic of Kazakhstan has not been adequately characterized. Our cartographic investigation has demonstrated highly variable radioactive contamination of the SNTS. The Cs-137, Sr-90, Eu-152, Eu-154, Co-60, and Am-241 activity concentrations in soil samples from the "Balapan" site were 42.6-17646, 96-18250, 1.05-11222, 0.6-4865, 0.23-4893, and 1.2-1037 Bq kg(-1), correspondingly. Cs-137 and Sr-90 activity concentrations in soil samples from the "Experimental field" site were varied from 87 up to 400 and from 94 up to 1000 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Activity concentrations of Co-60, Eu-152, and Eu-154 were lower than the minimum detectable activity of the method used. Concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (K-40, Ra-226, U-238, and Th-232) in the majority of soil samples from the "Balapan" and the "Experimental field" sites did not exceed typical for surrounding of the SNTS areas levels. Estimation of risks associated with radioactive contamination based on the IAEA clearance levels for a number of key radionuclides in solid materials shows that soils sampled from the "Balapan" and the "Experimental field" sites might be considered as radioactive wastes. Decrease in specific activity of soil from the sites studied up to safety levels due to Co-60, Cs-137, Sr-90, Eu-152, Eu-154 radioactive decay and Am-241 accumulation-decay will occur not earlier than 100 years. In contrast, soils from the "Experimental field" and the "Balapan" sites (except 0.5-2.5 km distance from the "Chagan" explosion point) cannot be regarded as the radioactive wastes according safety norms valid in Russia and Kazakhstan. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of short-lived radionuclide activities in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sodd, V.J.

1985-01-01

A review is given of the accelerator-produced short-lived radionuclides which are used in radiopharmaceuticals available commercially in the US and of the accelerator facilities devoted primarily to their production. Reactions for the efficient production of 67 Ga, 81 Rb → /sup 81m/Kr, 111 In, 201 Tl, and 123 I are given. Methods for the production of higher purity 123 I are suggested

Natural gas supply for the EU in the short to medium term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahan, A.

2004-03-01

For the European Union it is predicted that gas will become the fastest growing source of energy, increasing in share of total EU energy consumption from 21% in 2001 to 27% in 2020. At the same time indigenous production will decrease so that the EU will increasingly become dependent on imports. This paper makes an inventory of and critically reviews the widely quoted publications which assess the options for the EU's natural gas supply up to 2010. In contrast to the more optimistic tone set by most of the publications used as reference material for this study, the paper concludes that supply for especially the North West European market might easily be very tight by 2010. The report features an overview of the perspectives for supplies from Norway, Algeria, Russia and LNG sources. Particular attention is also paid to the increasing importance of indigenous production and flexibility instruments for the accommodation of growing import volumes

Last developments in the Belgian disposal programme for low and intermediate short-lived waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyazis, Jean-Paul

2006-01-01

After an historical reminder of the several phases of the Belgian program for the disposal of low and medium level short-lived waste since the creation of ONDRAF/NIRAS and the bad results obtained in the 90's by using a pure technical approach, the presentation will explain the main lines of the new methodology developed, as a consequence of the government decision of 16 January 1998 in ONDRAF/NIRAS to improve local acceptance for the disposal project. The way local partnerships were created with four nuclear municipalities under the form of a non-profit organization with a clear mission, the functioning, on a voluntary base, of the different partnerships during four to six years and the concrete results obtained until now using this very innovative method will be addressed. The last developments of the Belgian program for the disposal of low and medium level and short-lived waste will be presented, including the recent and very important decision of the Belgian government of 23 June 2006 to dispose of the low and medium active short-lived waste in a surface disposal installation on the territory of the municipality Dessel. (author)

Progress on the national low level radioactive waste repository and national intermediate level waste store

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, C.

2001-01-01

Over the last few years, significant progress has been made towards siting national, purpose-built facilities for Australian radioactive waste. In 2001, after an eight year search, a preferred site and two alternatives were identified in central-north South Australia for a near-surface repository for Australian low level (low level and short-lived intermediate level) radioactive waste. Site 52a at Everts Field West on the Woomera Prohibited Area was selected as the preferred site as it performs best against the selection criteria, particularly with respect to geology, ground water, transport and security. Two alternative sites, Site 45a and Site 40a, east of the Woomera-Roxby Downs Road, were also found to be highly suitable for the siting of the national repository. A project has commenced to site a national store for intermediate (long-lived intermediate level) radioactive waste on Commonwealth land for waste produced by Commonwealth agencies. Public input has been sought on relevant selection criteria

PANTHER Data from SOLVE-II Through CR-AVE: A Contrast Between Long and Short Lived Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, F. L.; Dutton, G. S.; Elkins, J. W.; Hall, B. D.; Hurst, D. F.; Nance, J. D.; Thompson, T. M.

2006-12-01

PANTHER (PAN and other Trace Hydrohalocarbons ExpeRiment) is an airborne 6-channel gas chromatograph that measures approximately 20 important atmospheric trace gases whose changing burdens impact air quality, climate change and both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone. In this presentation we will contrast measurements of the long-lived compounds against the short-lived compounds. The long-lived compounds tend to have well-defined troposphere boundary conditions and develop spatial gradients due to stratospheric processing. These measurements have played a major role in quantifying stratospheric transport, stratosphere- troposphere exchange, and ozone loss. In contrast the short-lived species develop spatial and temporal gradients in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL), due to variations in the surface boundary layer concentrations and the coupling of this surface boundary layer to the TTL via convective processes. Deep convection acts like a "conveyor belt" between the source region in the boundary layer and the relatively stable TTL region, often bypassing the free troposphere where scavenging of these short lived species takes place. Loss rates due to reaction with OH and thermal decomposition are reduced in the cold, dry air of the TTL, resulting in longer survival times. Isolation of the TTL region from the free troposphere can last from days to over a month. Significant amounts of these short-lived compound and their byproducts can therefore be transported into the lower stratosphere (LS). Of particular interest are compounds that contain bromine, iodine, and sulfur, not only because of their intrinsic harmful effects in the atmosphere, but also because they have unique source and sink regions that can help to de- convolve transport.

Proceedings of the specialists' meeting on 'nuclear spectroscopy and condensed matter physics using short-lived nuclei'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Shibata, Michihiro; Ohkubo, Yoshitaka

2016-02-01

The research reactor at Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University is a very useful neutron generator, providing us neutron-rich unstable nuclei by bombarding nuclei with those neutrons. The produced unstable nuclei exhibit aspects distinct from those of stable ones. Nuclear structure studies on a variety of excited states reflecting dynamic nuclear properties are one of fascinating research subjects of physics. On the other hand, some radioactive nuclei can be used as useful probes for understanding interesting properties of condensed matters through studies of hyperfine interactions of static nuclear electromagnetic moments with extranuclear fields. Concerning these two research fields and related areas, the 2nd symposium under the title of 'Nuclear Spectroscopy and Condensed Matter Physics Using Short-lived Nuclei' was held at the Institute for two days on November 4 and 5 in 2015. We are pleased that many hot discussions were made. The talks were given on the followings: 1) Nuclear spectroscopic experiments, 2) TDPAC (time-differential perturbed angular correlation), 3) β-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), 4) Moessbauer spectroscopy, 5) muon, etc. This issue is the collection of 17 papers presented at the entitled meeting. The 6 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Radioactive wastes. The groundwork of current solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grevoz, A.; Boullis, B.; Devezeaux de Lavergne, J.G.; Butez, M.; Bordier, G.; Vitart, X.; Hablot, I.; Chastagnet, F.

2005-01-01

Today the groundwork laid down by research has made processes available for the durable treatment and conditioning of all types of radioactive waste. This document illustrates the today situations in five presentations. Now standing as a national reference, the french inventory of radioactive waste, drawn up by ANDRA, has not only expanded to cover recoverable material but also features predictions of waste arisings for 2010 and 2020, including waste from the decommissioning of current installations. The current process used for spent fuel reprocessing allows extraction for recycling purpose, of uranium and plutonium, with very high recovery and purification rates. Advances in characterization and decontamination allow improvements in sorting and retrieval and conditioning to be considered for older wastes. The french National radioactive waste management agency (ANDRA) is already providing optimum industrial solutions for all short-lived, low and very low level waste on its Soulaines and Morvillers sites. For several decades, Areva has been reprocessing spent fuel and conditioning ultimate waste in its La Hague plants. (A.L.B.)

Decree of the 23 February 2017 in application of the decree nr 2017-231 of the 23 February 2017 in application of the article L. 542-1-2 of the Code of the Environment, and establishing prescriptions of the National Plan of Management of Radioactive Materials and Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Royal, Segolene

2017-01-01

This decree defines legal arrangements about the implementation of the French national plan of management of radioactive materials and wastes (PNGMDR). It contains some general arrangements, issues related to radioactive materials (depleted uranium, uranium from reprocessing, plutonium and spent fuels, thorium-containing materials), and issues related to the long term management of radioactive wastes. These issues notably concern historical storages and the different types of radioactive wastes: very low level radioactive wastes, short lived low and intermediate level wastes, long-lived intermediate level wastes, long-lived high and intermediate level wastes, radioactive wastes requiring specific works such as mercury-containing wastes, organic liquids and oils, tritiated wastes, and so on, and uranium tailings

Radioactivity appearing at landfills in household trash of nuclear medicine patients: much ado about nothing?

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Jeffry A; Sparks, Richard B

2002-03-01

The U.S. NRC in 1997 removed its arbitrary 1.11 GBq (30 mCi) rule, which had been in existence for almost 50 y, and now many more patients receiving radionuclide therapy in nuclear medicine can be treated as outpatients. However, another problem has the potential to limit the short-lived reality of outpatient treatment unless nuclear medicine practitioners and the health physics community gets involved. Radioactive articles in the household trash of nuclear medicine patients are appearing at solid waste landfills that have installed radiation monitors to prevent the entry of any detectable radioactivity, and alarms are going off around the country. These monitors are set to alarm at extremely low activity levels. Some states may actually hold licensees responsible if a patient's radioactive household trash is discovered in a solid waste stream; this is another major reason [along with continued use of the 1.11 GBq (30 mCi) rule] why many licensees are still not releasing their radionuclide therapy patients. This is in spite of the fact that the radioactivity contained in released nuclear medicine therapy patients, let alone the much lower activity level contained in their potentially radioactive household wastes, poses a minimal hazard to the public health and safety or to the environment. Currently, there are no regulations governing the disposal of low-activity, rapidly-decaying radioactive materials found in the household trash of nuclear medicine patients, the performance of landfill radiation monitors, or the necessity of spectrometry equipment. Resources are, therefore, being unnecessarily expended by regulators and licensees in responding to radiation monitor alarms that are caused by these unregulated short-lived materials that may be mixed with municipal trash. Recommendations are presented that would have the effect of modifying the existing landfill regulations and practices so as to allow the immediate disposal of such wastes.

Intrinsic radioactivity of KSr{sub 2}I{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rust, M.; Melcher, C.; Lukosi, E., E-mail: elukosi@utk.edu

2016-10-11

A current need in nuclear security is an economical, yet high energy resolution (near 2%), scintillation detector suitable for gamma-ray spectroscopy. For current scintillators on the market, there is an inverse relationship between scintillator energy resolution and cost of production. A new promising scintillator, KSr{sub 2}I{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+}, under development at the University of Tennessee, has achieved an energy resolution of 2.4% at 662 keV at room temperature, with potential growth rates exceeding several millimeters per hour. However, the internal background due to the {sup 40}K content could present a hurdle for effective source detection/identification in nuclear security applications. As a first step in addressing this question, this paper reports on a computational investigation of the intrinsic differential pulse height spectrum (DPHS) generated by {sup 40}K within the KSr{sub 2}I{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} scintillator as a function of crystal geometry. It was found that the DPHS remains relatively equal to a constant multiplicative factor of the negatron emission spectrum with a direct increase of the 1.46 MeV photopeak relative height to the negatron spectrum with volume. Further, peak pileup does not readily manifest itself for practical KSr{sub 2}I{sub 5}:Eu{sup 2+} volumes.

94 β-Decay Half-Lives of Neutron-Rich _{55}Cs to _{67}Ho: Experimental Feedback and Evaluation of the r-Process Rare-Earth Peak Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, J; Nishimura, S; Lorusso, G; Möller, P; Ideguchi, E; Regan, P-H; Simpson, G S; Söderström, P-A; Walker, P M; Watanabe, H; Xu, Z Y; Baba, H; Browne, F; Daido, R; Doornenbal, P; Fang, Y F; Gey, G; Isobe, T; Lee, P S; Liu, J J; Li, Z; Korkulu, Z; Patel, Z; Phong, V; Rice, S; Sakurai, H; Sinclair, L; Sumikama, T; Tanaka, M; Yagi, A; Ye, Y L; Yokoyama, R; Zhang, G X; Alharbi, T; Aoi, N; Bello Garrote, F L; Benzoni, G; Bruce, A M; Carroll, R J; Chae, K Y; Dombradi, Z; Estrade, A; Gottardo, A; Griffin, C J; Kanaoka, H; Kojouharov, I; Kondev, F G; Kubono, S; Kurz, N; Kuti, I; Lalkovski, S; Lane, G J; Lee, E J; Lokotko, T; Lotay, G; Moon, C-B; Nishibata, H; Nishizuka, I; Nita, C R; Odahara, A; Podolyák, Zs; Roberts, O J; Schaffner, H; Shand, C; Taprogge, J; Terashima, S; Vajta, Z; Yoshida, S

2017-02-17

The β-decay half-lives of 94 neutron-rich nuclei ^{144-151}Cs, ^{146-154}Ba, ^{148-156}La, ^{150-158}Ce, ^{153-160}Pr, ^{156-162}Nd, ^{159-163}Pm, ^{160-166}Sm, ^{161-168}Eu, ^{165-170}Gd, ^{166-172}Tb, ^{169-173}Dy, ^{172-175}Ho, and two isomeric states ^{174m}Er, ^{172m}Dy were measured at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, providing a new experimental basis to test theoretical models. Strikingly large drops of β-decay half-lives are observed at neutron-number N=97 for _{58}Ce, _{59}Pr, _{60}Nd, and _{62}Sm, and N=105 for _{63}Eu, _{64}Gd, _{65}Tb, and _{66}Dy. Features in the data mirror the interplay between pairing effects and microscopic structure. r-process network calculations performed for a range of mass models and astrophysical conditions show that the 57 half-lives measured for the first time play an important role in shaping the abundance pattern of rare-earth elements in the solar system.

Production of medical short-lived radionuclides in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiebe, L.I.

1985-01-01

The production of radionuclides for medical and biomedical research in Canada has been reviewed with respect to the national geographic and demographic characteristics which influence their use. The types of facilities available for the production of short-lived radionuclides have been summarized, and a tabulation of the radionuclides that are produced has been presented. In broad terms production facilities can be classified as belonging to one of two groups, nuclear reactor or charged-particle accelerators. The charged-particle accelerators produce the more neutron-deficient and (because of the resultant decay properties) the more useful radionuclides for medical application. The nuclear reactor facilities for radionuclide production range in size and capacity from the high-flux research reactors of AECL to the six SLOWPOKE reactors, five of which are located on university campuses across the country. The McMaster University reactor is used to produce curie quantities of fluorine-18 weekly. Millicurie amounts of a large number of radionuclides, most of which have half-lives ranging from 2 to 50 hr, are produced in the low-flux reactors, in support of basic medical research

Occupational exposure of phosphate mine workers: airborne radioactivity measurements and dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khater, Ashraf E.; Hussein, M.A.; Hussein, Mohamed I.

2004-01-01

Under the Egyptian program for radiation safety and control, airborne radioactivity measurements and radiological dose assessment were conducted in some phosphate and uranium mines. Abu-Tartor mine is one of the biggest underground phosphate mines in Egypt. Airborne radioactivity, radon ( 222 Rn) and its short-lived decay products (progenies) and thoron ( 220 Rn), were measured in selected locations along the mine. The environmental gamma and workers dose equivalent rate (mSv/y) were measured inside and outside the mine using thermo-luminescence dosimeters (TLD). The results were presented and discussed. The calculated annual effective dose due to airborne radioactivity is the main source of occupational exposure and exceeding the maximum recommended level by ICRP-60 inside the mine tunnels. A number of recommendations are suggested to control the occupational exposures

Continuous administration of short-lived isotopes for evaluating dynamic parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selikson, M.

1985-01-01

In this paper it is shown that continuous but varying infusions (specifically, exponential infusions) of a short-lived radionuclide can be used to evaluate a wide range of dynamic parameters. The detector response to exponential infusions is derived. An example of an inert diffusible substrate for evaluating regional flow and a glucose model for evaluating regional metabolic rate are both worked out. The advantages of using exponential infusion methods are discussed

Short-lived radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis of ocular melanoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Packer, S.; Lambrecht, R.; Atkins, H.L.; Wolf, A.P.

1974-01-01

An experimental procedure has been established to evaluate radiopharmaceuticals for the specific purpose of melanoma detection by scintiscanning. By using the Greene melanoma in the hamster several labeled compounds were compared. Specifically the tumor uptake along with detailed analyses of uptake by various parts of the eye and body were determined in a hamster model. Of those short-lived radionuclides investigated 203 Pb-tris was the most promising as a non-invasive localizing agent for ocular melanoma and it should prove effective for ocular scintigraphy. (U.S.)

Individual employment, household employment and risk of poverty in the EU: a decomposition analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corluy, V.; Vandenbroucke, F.

2013-01-01

This Working Paper explores the missing links between employment policy success and social inclusion policy failure. The focus is on individuals in the 20 to 59 age cohort and empirical analyses are relying on the EU Labour Force Survey (EU LFS) and the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions

EU ENLARGEMENT AT A CROSSROADS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea Cătălina Paul

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The present article aims to explore the general theme of the EU enlargement strategy in the new 2012 European context. Until now, the EU’s enlargement strategy has yielded impressive results. It succeeded in transforming ten central and eastern European countries from post-communism confusion into open-market, mature and effective systems of democratic governments, and even on the economic front, they have also made astonishing progress. It is no doubt that people in the new EU countries live better then before. In this context, the EU must continue the enlargement process to help stabilize the Balkan region that lie beyond its expanded eastern border. No one can deny that major issues concerning western Balkan countries’ accession are still on the table, and they even exert a geopolitical influence of sorts. This makes it all the more important to see stability and regional co-operation there are strategically vital. An all-out effort must now be made to complete the enlargement process and ensure there is no strategic vacuum. This article provides the framework of analyses for the EU problems and the challenges for the Balkans governments as for Brussels.

Public debate on the general options relative to the management of high-medium activity and long-lived radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-09-01

The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. This document presents the organizational aspects of the debate: origin, organization committee (mission, members, commitments), framework (the December 31, 1991 law, technical enlargement, society aspects), topics (summary of the debate in ten questions), organization modalities (4 main steps, schedule, venues), objectives and perspectives (sharing information, decision making processes to be implemented by 2006). (J.S.)

International perspective on regulation and radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennecke, P.W.

2001-01-01

In recent years, within the framework of national as well as international programmes, notable advances and considerable experience have been reached, in particular in the areas of minimisation of the production of radioactive waste, conditioning and disposal of short-lived low and intermediate level waste, vitrification of fission product solution on an industrial scale and engineered storage of long-lived high level waste, i.e. vitrified waste and spent fuel. Based on such results near-surface repositories have successfully been operated in many countries. Furthermore, geological repository development programmes are now being pursued, addressing the development and application of appropriate methods for site-specific safety assessments, too. In addition to scientific-technical areas, issues regarding economical, environmental, ethical and political aspects have been considered increasingly during the last years. Hence, there is a need for the examination of such issues in more detail and, if appropriate, for introducing respective results in further radioactive waste management and disposal options and/or planning work. Taking differences in national approaches, practices and constraints into account, it is to be recognised that future developments and decisions will have to be extended in order to include further important aspects and, finally, to enhance acceptance and confidence in safety-related planning work as well as proposed radioactive waste management and disposal solutions. In particular, international expertise and peer reviews are to be integrated. (author)

2009 National inventory of radioactive material and wastes. In short

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This booklet gives a summary of the national inventory report on radioactive wastes that are present on the French territory (as recorded until december, 2007). Intended for public information, the booklet explains the basics of radioactive materials and wastes and waste management, and gives some data on present and future waste volumes, information about radioactive waste classification, the geographical distribution of waste sites in France, etc. The various types of radioactive wastes are described (classified by their lifetime and activity level) as well as historical storage sites, polluted areas where wastes are stored, radioactive objects, etc. and their respective management approaches are presented

Annual report of the Aube storage center for very-low-level radioactive wastes (CSTFA) - 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-08-01

The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2011 activity report of the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety, security and radiation protection, environmental monitoring and effluents, public information and communication

Applications of short-lived isotopes in agricultural research in New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCallum, G.J.; More, R.D.; McNaughton, G.S.; Minchin, P.E.H.; Presland, M.R.; Stout, J.D.

1981-01-01

The use of the short-lived isotopes 11 C and 13 N in agricultural research studies in New Zealand is reviewed. The methods employed to produce these radioisotopes using a 3 MV Van de Graaff accelerator are given. Experiments on transport processes and the uptake of nutrient by plants, and the study of soil processes are described. (Auth.)

The development of fast tantalum foil targets for short-lived isotopes

CERN Document Server

Bennett, J R J; Drumm, P V; Ravn, H L

2003-01-01

The development of fast tantalum foil targets for short-lived isotopes was discussed. It was found that the effusion was faster but the diffusion out of the foils was a limiting factor. The performance of the targets at ISOLDE with beams of **1**1Li, **1**2Be and **1**4Be was also analyzed. (Edited abstract) 13 Refs.

Radioactive waste disposal in Slovakia: Current practice and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salzer, P.; Hanusik, V.; Ehn, L.

2002-01-01

The paper describes activities concerning the disposal of radioactive waste in the Slovak Republic. For disposal of the low and intermediate short-lived radioactive waste, the National radioactive waste repository Mochovce (near surface type) was put into operation in 1999. History and approaches to repository development, siting and construction are briefly described. Recent activities regarding the repository are concerning on the safety re-assessment and re-derivation of coherent waste acceptance criteria, studies of repository covering and possible enlargement. In the second part, attention is given to the Slovak deep geological repository development programme, which has been under way since 1996. Most of the results were obtained from the siting part of the programme, where four localities (six sites) were identified as prospective for next investigation. The paper also gives an overview on next two routes of deep repository development programme: studies resulted later in performance assessment and general activities, i.e. design studies, analysis of legislative and infrastructure conditions, planning and evaluation of works. (author)

Activation analysis with neutron generators using short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salma, I.

1993-01-01

The short half-life involves a number of important differences in production, transportation and measurement of radionuclides, and in counting statistics as compared with those in traditional activation analysis. Experiments were performed to investigate the analytical possibilities and prospective utilization of short-lived radionuclides produced by 14-MeV neutron irradiation. A rapid pneumatic transfer system for use with neutron generators was installed and applied for detecting radionuclides with a half-life from 300 ms to 30 s. The transport time for samples with a total mass of 1-4 g is between 130 and 160 ms for pressurized air of 0.1-0.4 MPa. 11 elements were studied by the conventional activation method using both a typical pneumatic transport system (run time 3 s) and the fast pneumatic transport facility. The effect of the cyclic activation technique on the elemental sensitivities was also investigated. (orig.)

COMPAS: a European project on the ''comparison of alternative waste management strategies for long-lived radioactive wastes''. Scope, working methods and conclusions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutton, L.M.C.; Hillis, Z.K.; Roehlig, K.J.

2004-01-01

The paper presents the content and major findings of a project on the ''COMParison of Alternative waste management Strategies for long-lived radioactive wastes'' (COMPAS) carried out within the 5 th framework programme of the European commission. Under the leadership of NNC (UK), the project was carried out by individuals representing waste management organisations from 15 European countries. After having compiled information on the nature and amount of long-lived radioactive waste to be managed, issues influencing the selection of waste management strategies and options, presently adopted national strategies as well as options for the future were addressed. Conclusions concerning key issues for the success or otherwise of strategies and management solutions were drawn. (orig.)

Proceedings of the public debate on the general options of management of high and intermediate activity and long-lived radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprised 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is a summary of the main questions tackled during this debate from its preparation to its closing meeting and dealing with: the acceptation of the debate, the progress of the debate, the socio-technical problem of gathering the different points to be debated with respect to the different areas in concern, the general questions about the overall nuclear wastes and materials (radioactivity, health, radioprotection, management, reprocessing, control, actors organization, knowledge sharing, perenniality of the financing), the specific questions about long-lived wastes (inventory, separation-transmutation feasibility, nuclear energy and energy policy, management solutions, storage and geologic disposal feasibility, impact of debates on the 2006 law, long-lived waste territories), the conclusions for the 2006 law: mastering the overall nuclear wastes and materials and step-by-step building up of a solution for long-lived wastes (difficulties, lessons learnt from foreign experience, first draft of the 2006 law). Some opinions expressed by some participants about these proposals conclude

Corrections for the combined effects of decay and dead time in live-timed counting of short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fitzgerald, R.

2016-01-01

Studies and calibrations of short-lived radionuclides, for example "1"5O, are of particular interest in nuclear medicine. Yet counting experiments on such species are vulnerable to an error due to the combined effect of decay and dead time. Separate decay corrections and dead-time corrections do not account for this issue. Usually counting data are decay-corrected to the start time of the count period, or else instead of correcting the count rate, the mid-time of the measurement is used as the reference time. Correction factors are derived for both those methods, considering both extending and non-extending dead time. Series approximations are derived here and the accuracy of those approximations are discussed. - Highlights: • Derived combined effects of decay and dead time. • Derived for counting systems with extending or non-extending dead times. • Derived series expansions for both midpoint and decay-to-start-time methods. • Useful for counting experiments with short-lived radionuclides. • Examples given for "1"5O, used in PET scanning.

O-(4-diazo-3,5-di[125I]iodobenzoyl)sucrose, a novel radioactive label for determining organ sites of catabolism of plasma proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, A.S.H. de; Bouma, J.M.W.; Gruber, M.

1981-01-01

A method is described for radiolabelling proteins with O-(4-diazo-3,5-di[ 125 I]iodobenzoyl)sucrose (DD 125 IBS). When proteins so labelled were degraded within lysosomes, the radioactive fragments were largely retained within the organelle. High specific radioactivities were obtained without changing the properties of the protein. The validity of the method was demonstrated in vivo in rats using the short-lived protein lactate dehydrogenase, isoenzyme M 4 , and the long-lived protein bovine serum albumin. Derivatization with DD 125 IBS did not alter the clearance of either protein. Uptake of DD 125 IBS-labelled lactate dehydrogenase, isoenzyme M 4 , by liver and spleen of rats was determined. Radioactivity in these tissues increased up to about 2 h after injection (at this time the protein has been almost completely cleared from the blood) and subsequently declined with a half-life of approx. 20h. After differential fractionation of liver, radioactivity was largely found in the mitochondrial and lysosomal fraction. The results of these studies establish that DD 125 IBS covalently coupled to plasma proteins should be a useful radioactive tracer for identifying the tissue and cellular sites of catabolism of relatively long-lived circulating proteins. (author)

Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Fact Sheet Adopted: February 2010 Health Physics Society Specialists in Radiation Safety Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials Everything we encounter in our daily lives contains some radioactive material, ...

Studies of short-lived products of spallation fission reactions at TRIUMF

CERN Document Server

Bischoff, G; D'Auria, J M; Dautet, H; Lee, J K P; Pate, B D; Wiesehahn, W

1976-01-01

The gas-jet recoil transport technique has been used to transport products from spallation and fission reactions from a target chamber to a shielded location for nuclear spectroscopic studies. These involve X- beta - gamma coincidence measurements and (shortly) time- of-flight mass spectroscopy. It has been deduced that the proton beam at present intensities has no appreciable effect on the ability of ethylene and other cluster-producing gases to transport radioactivity. Preliminary results will be presented for shortlived fission products from uranium, and for spallation products of iodine and argon. The latter were obtained from the bombardment of gas and aerosol targets mixed with the transporting gas in the target chamber, which appears to be a generally useful technique.

Determination of short-lived trace elements in environmental samples by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wardani, S.; Sihombing, E.; Hamzah, A.; Rochidi; Hery, P.S.; Hartaman, S.; Iman, J.

1998-01-01

Concentration of a short-lived trace elements in environmental samples were determined by neutron activation analysis, a counting loss often occur due to the high counting rate. A Pile-Up Rejecter (PUR) electric circuit was installed in counting a short-lived trace elements by a γ-ray spectrometer in order to correct a counting loss. The samples were irradiated for 30∼60 seconds at neutron flux of 3.5 x 10 12 n.cm -2 .s -1 , then the samples cooled for 120 second and counted for 180 second using this system. The nuclides concentration in the varieties environmental samples have a difference analysis result, was more accurate and precise, which the measured result would be 30 % more higher by PUR system than the result would be counted using a conventional γ-ray spectrometry method

Long-lived high and intermediate level radioactive wastes: defining the context, stakes and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The French law from December 30, 1991 has defined an ambitious 15 years program of researches in order to explore the different possible paths for the long-term management of long-lived high and intermediate level radioactive wastes. The law foresees also that at the end of the 15 years research program, a project of law will be prepared by the French government and transmitted to the European parliament in 2006. A public debate has been organized and emceed in 2005 in order dialogue with the general public and to gather its questions, remarks and fears. In the framework of their contribution to this debate, the ministries of industry and environment have prepared this document which answers some key questions about radioactive waste management: where do wastes come from, what are the risks, how are they managed today in France and in foreign countries, what are the results of the researches carried out during 15 years, what are the advantages and drawbacks of each waste management solution considered, what is the perspective of application of each solution, what is the position of experts, what will be the decision process. This synthetic document supplies some reference marks to better understand these different points. Some pedagogical files about radioactivity, fuel cycle, and nuclear industry activities are attached to the document. (J.S.)

Nondispersive x-ray diagnostics of short lived plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Day, R.H.

1983-01-01

In this NATO Advanced Study Institute, we have discussed in detail the diagnosis of many pulse power machine properties, including their electrical behavior, grounding and shielding, and related data acquisition techniques. The purpose for many of these machines is to create high temperature/high density plasmas and, therefore, the subsequent behavior of these plasmas is of critical concern. The energy density of these plasmas is such that they will naturally radiate in the x-ray regime and thus the diagnosis of their x-ray emission is a crucial measurement of the entire system performance. In this lecture, I describe the general techniques used to perform nondispersive x-ray diagnostics of these short lived plasmas

Increased Concentrations of Short-Lived Decay-Series Radionuclides in Groundwaters Underneath the Nopal I Uranium Deposit at Pena Blanca, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, S.; Ku, T.; Todd, V.; Murrell, M. T.; Dinsmoor, J. C.

2007-05-01

The Nopal I uranium ore deposit at Pena Blanca, Mexico, located at > 200 meters above the groundwater table, provides an ideal natural analog for quantifying the effectiveness of geological barrier for isolation of radioactive waste nuclides from reaching the human environments through ground water transport. To fulfill such natural analog studies, three wells (PB1, PB2, and PB3 respectively) were drilled at the site from the land surface down to the saturated groundwater zone and ground waters were collected from each of these wells through large- volume sampling/in-situ Mn-filter filtration for analyses of short-lived uranium/thorium-series radionuclides. Our measurements from PB1 show that the groundwater standing in the hole has much lower 222Rn activity than the freshly pumped groundwater. From this change in 222Rn activity, we estimate the residence time of groundwater in PB1 to be about 20 days. Our measurements also show that the activities of short-lived radioisotopes of Th (234Th), Ra (228Ra, 224Ra, 223Ra), Rn (222Rn), Pb (210Pb), and Po (210Po) in PB1, PB2, and PB3 are all significantly higher than those from the other wells near the Nopal I site. These high activities provide evidence for the enrichment of long-lived U and Ra isotopes in the groundwater as well as in the associated adsorbed phases on the fractured aquifer rocks underneath the ore deposit. Such enrichment suggests a rapid dissolution of U and Ra isotopes from the uranium ore deposit in the vadose zone and the subsequent migration to the groundwater underneath. A reactive transport model can be established to characterize the in-situ transport of radionuclides at the site. The observed change of 222Rn activity at PB1 also suggests that the measured high radioactivityies in ground waters from the site isare not an artifact of drilling operations. However, further studies are needed to assess if or to what extent the radionuclide migration is affected by the previous mining activities at

Harvard--MIT research program in short-lived radiopharmaceuticals. Progress report, September 1, 1977--April 30, 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adelstein, S.J.; Brownell, G.L.

1978-05-01

Progress is reported on the following studies: chemistry studies designed to achieve a more complete understanding of the fundamental chemistry of technetium in order to facilitate the design of future radiopharmaceuticals incorporating the radionuclide /sup 99m/Tc; the development of new radiopharmaceuticals intended to improve image quality and lower radiation doses by the use of short-lived radionuclides and disease-specific agents; the development of short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides which offer advantages in transverse section imaging of regional physiological processes; and studies of the toxic effects of particulate radiation

Two-step laser ionization schemes for in-gas laser ionization and spectroscopy of radioactive isotopesa

OpenAIRE

Kudryavtsev, Yuri; Ferrer, Rafael; Huyse, Mark; Van den Bergh, Paul; Van Duppen, Piet; Vermeeren, L.

2014-01-01

The in-gas laser ionization and spectroscopy technique has been developed at the Leuven isotope separator on-line facility for the production and in-source laser spectroscopy studies of short-lived radioactive isotopes. In this article, results from a study to identify efficient optical schemes for the two-step resonance laser ionization of 18 elements are presented. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Use of almond endocarp shell in sorption of radioactive 152+154Europium from waste solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dakroury, G.A.; Khalil, T.; Abou El-Nour, F.H.

2007-01-01

In an attempt to remove radioactive ( 152 + 154 )Eu from waste solutions, the present study was tried to explore the possibility of using a natural by-product. Almond endocarp (AEC) shell produced from Sinai (El-Arish area) was selected as agricultural by-product in treatment of waste solutions containing ( 152 + 154 )Eu through a batch technique. The different physico-chemical characteristics of AEC such as specific surface area, total pore volume, average pore diameter, apparent density, porosity and pore size distribution were calculated. The adsorption process was described by a Freundlich type isotherm. The uptake percent of the metal ion was determined for the sorbent material as a function of contact time, pH-value, mass of the sorbent material, metal ion concentration and the effect of competing ions on the sorption process. The obtained data were analyzed and showed that almond endocarp shell powder can be considered as an efficient natural material to be used for sorption of radioactive ( 152 + 154 )Eu from their radioactive waste solutions

Migration from the new EU member countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Louise Møller; Lund Thomsen, Trine

2012-01-01

investigates the potentials, limitations and conflicts of interests that are connected with temporary employment of Eastern European migrant workers within the unskilled labour sectors seen from the perspective of Danish labour market actors; politicians, labour marked unions, Danish employers, Danish......During the past four years more than 52.500 Eastern European EU citizens have worked and lived in Denmark. Migrant workers from the new EU countries are characterized by a high degree of mobility, flexibility and eagerness in terms of working and adapting to working conditions. Poorer socioeconomic...... and working conditions in their home countries as well as being of another cultural background than their Danish colleagues brings with it many challenges. This article examines the consequences of low-skilled labour migration to Denmark from the new EU member countries in Eastern Europe. The article...

Emanations and 'induced' radioactivity: from mystery to (mis)use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolar, Z.I.

1999-01-01

The natural Rn isotopes were discovered within the period 1899-1902 and at that time referred to as emanations because they came out (emanated) of sources/materials containing actinium, thorium and radium, respectively. The (somewhat mysterious) emanations appeared to disintegrate into radioactive decay products which by depositing at solid surfaces gave rise to 'induced' radioactivity i.e. radioactive substances with various half-lives. Following the discovery of the emanations the volume of the research involving them and their disintegration products grew steeply. The identity of a number of these radioactive products was soon established. Radium emanation was soon used as a source of RaD ( 210 Pb) to be applied as an 'indicator' (radiotracer) for lead in a study on the solubility of lead sulphide and lead chromate. Moreover, radium and its emanation were introduced into the medical practice. Inhaling radon and drinking radon-containing water became an accepted medicinal use (or misuse?) of that gas. Shortly after the turn of the century, the healing (?) action of natural springs (spas) was attributed to their radium emanation, i.e. radon. Bathing in radioactive spring water and drinking it became very popular. Even today, bathing in radon-containing water is still a common medical treatment in Jachymov, Czech Republic. (author)

Estimation of radioactive contamination of soils from the “Balapan” and the “Experimental field” technical areas of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evseeva, T.; Belykh, E.; Geras’kin, S.; Majstrenko, T.

2012-01-01

In spite of the long history of the research, radioactive contamination of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (SNTS) in the Republic of Kazakhstan has not been adequately characterized. Our cartographic investigation has demonstrated highly variable radioactive contamination of the SNTS. The Cs-137, Sr-90, Eu-152, Eu-154, Co-60, and Am-241 activity concentrations in soil samples from the “Balapan” site were 42.6–17646, 96–18250, 1.05–11222, 0.6–4865, 0.23–4893, and 1.2–1037 Bq kg −1 , correspondingly. Cs-137 and Sr-90 activity concentrations in soil samples from the “Experimental field” site were varied from 87 up to 400 and from 94 up to 1000 Bq kg −1 , respectively. Activity concentrations of Co-60, Eu-152, and Eu-154 were lower than the minimum detectable activity of the method used. Concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (K-40, Ra-226, U-238, and Th-232) in the majority of soil samples from the “Balapan” and the “Experimental field” sites did not exceed typical for surrounding of the SNTS areas levels. Estimation of risks associated with radioactive contamination based on the IAEA clearance levels for a number of key radionuclides in solid materials shows that soils sampled from the 'Balapan' and the “Experimental field” sites might be considered as radioactive wastes. Decrease in specific activity of soil from the sites studied up to safety levels due to Co-60, Cs-137, Sr-90, Eu-152, Eu-154 radioactive decay and Am-241 accumulation-decay will occur not earlier than 100 years. In contrast, soils from the “Experimental field” and the “Balapan” sites (except 0.5–2.5 km distance from the “Chagan” explosion point) cannot be regarded as the radioactive wastes according safety norms valid in Russia and Kazakhstan. - Highlights: ► Distribution of radionuclides in soil of Semipalatinsk test site was mapped. ► The main contributors into soil radioactive contamination were 137 Cs and 90 Sr. ► Soils

Long term radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavie, J.M.

1984-01-01

In France, waste management, a sensitive issue in term of public opinion, is developing quickly, and due to twenty years of experience, is now reaching maturity. With the launching of the French nuclear programme, the use of radioactive sources in radiotherapy and industry, waste management has become an industrial activity. Waste management is an integrated system dealing with the wastes from their production to the long term disposal, including their identification, sortage, treatment, packaging, collection and transport. This system aims at guaranteing the protection of present and future populations with an available technology. In regard to their long term management, and the design of disposals, radioactive wastes are divided in three categories. This classification takes into account the different radioisotopes contained, their half life and their total activity. Presently short-lived wastes are stored in the shallowland disposal of the ''Centre de la Manche''. Set up within the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Agency for waste management (ANDRA) is responsible within the framework of legislative and regulatory provisions for long term waste management in France [fr

Medical applications of radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidel, C.W.

1990-01-01

Hospitals, clinics and other medical complexes are probably the most extensive users of radioactive solutions of Tc-99m, Tl-201, Ga-67, I-123, Xe-133 and radiopharmaceuticals as diagnostic tools to evaluate the dynamic function of various organs in the body, detect cancerous tumors, sites of infection or other bodily dysfunctions. Examples of monitoring blood flow to a stressed heart and to the brain of a cocaine addict are shown. Short-lived positron emitting radionuclides (C-11, N-13, O-15 and F-18) are produced right in a hospital. Other radionuclides are used as therapeutics to reduce tumor size or kill diseased cells. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is another medical diagnostic tool that is useful in the early detection of the AIDS virus and cancer as well as many other illnesses. Biological researchers, using radioactive biological compounds, have developed many of todays medical diagnostic procedures. Most of the recent Nobel Laureates in the life sciences have used radiolabeled compounds in their research. A brief review of these applications with several examples is presented

Fusion radioactivity confinement and application to postulated ITER accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S.J.; Brereton, S.J.

1991-01-01

An assessment of the ITER radioactivity confinement shows reduction of potential accidental releases to the environment by two orders of magnitude. Important credits are the 1% volume/day confinement leakage rate, radioactivity decay for short-lived isotopes, resumption of detritiation/negative pressure within seven days of the accident, and wind meander during the slow confinement leakage. Achieving this two order of magnitude credit in practice requires appropriate design details, especially the leakage rate and detritiation/negative pressure equipment, and research to validate some key assumptions. The confinement maximizes dependence on passive safety features, thereby working toward using fusion's potential safety advantages. The confinement includes several confinement zones with varying human access allowances. Some confinement areas are normally isolated from the environment, the closed ventilation zone. Some areas have an inert cover gas to inhibit combustion. If future assessments of accidental overpressure show the need, we propose a filter/vent system. This report documents our work for the ITER Conceptual Design Activity (CDA). The report is consistent with the final CDA design reports and descriptions, except that our analysis includes a filter/vent. For gaseous or vapor tritium and for most activated aerosols, the reference release fraction is about 2%. For short-lived tungsten-rhenium aerosols, the reference release fraction is somewhat lower, as low as 0.5% for some accident scenarios. Even without resumption of detritiation/decontamination or negative pressure within seven days of the accident, the release fraction for stays below 4%

Interest of the Department of Energy in production and development of short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiessen, J.W.

1985-01-01

The Department of Energy has developed production of potentially useful radionuclides for applications in medicine. The Department's financial commitment and the short-lived radionuclide production program, with emphasis on iodine-123, is discussed

The high level and long lived radioactive wastes; Les dechets radioactifs a haute activite et a vie longue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

This report presents the main conclusions of 15 years of researches managed by the CEA. This report is the preliminary version of the 2005 final report. It presents the main conclusions of the actions on the axis 1 and 3 of the law of the 30 December 1991. The synthesis report on the axis 1 concerns results obtained on the long lived radionuclides separation and transmutation in high level and long lived radioactive wastes. the synthesis report on the axis 3 presents results obtained by the processes of conditioning and of ground and underground long term storage. (A.L.B.)

An electrochemical approach for removal of radionuclidic contaminants of Eu from 153Sm for effective use in metastatic bone pain palliation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravarty, Rubel; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Khan, Mohammed Sahiralam; Ram, Ramu; Sarma, Haladhar Dev; Dash, Ashutosh

2018-03-01

Thermal neutron activation of 152 Sm [ 152 Sm(n,γ) 153 Sm] using natural or isotopically enriched (by 152 Sm) samarium target is the established route for production of 153 Sm used for preparation of 153 Sm-EDTMP for pain palliation in cancer patients with disseminated bone metastases. However, some long-lived radionuclidic contaminants of Eu, such as, 154 Eu (t ½ =8.6y) are also produced during the target activation process. This leads to detectable amount of Eu radionuclidic contaminants in patients' skeleton even years after administration with therapeutic doses of 153 Sm-EDTMP. Further, the presence of such contaminants in 153 Sm raises concerns related to radioactive waste management. The aim of the present study was to develop and demonstrate a viable method for large-scale purification of 153 Sm from radionuclidic contaminants of Eu. A radiochemical separation procedure adopting electroamalgamation approach has been critically evaluated. The influence of different experimental parameters for the quantitative removal radionuclidic contaminants of Eu from 153 Sm was investigated and optimized. The effectiveness of the method was demonstrated by purification of ~37 GBq of 153 Sm in several batches. As a proof of concept, 153 Sm-EDTMP was administered in normal Wistar rats and ex vivo γ-spectrometry of bone samples were carried out. After carrying out the electrolysis under the optimized conditions, the radionuclidic contaminants of Eu could not be detected in purified 153 Sm solution by γ-spectrometry. The overall yield of 153 Sm obtained after the purification process was >85%. The reliability of this approach was amply demonstrated in several batches, wherein the performance remained consistent. Ex vivo γ-spectrometry of bone samples of Wistar rats administered with 153 Sm-EDTMP (prepared using electrochemically purified 153 Sm) did not show photo peaks corresponding to radionuclidic contaminants of Eu. A viable electrochemical strategy for the large

Common extraction of Tc, Pd and Eu by phosphorylated calixarenes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babain, V.; Smirnov, I.; Kvasnitskiy, I.; Karavan, M.; Boiko, V.; Miroshnichenko, V.; Klimchuk, O.; Kalchenko, V.

2003-01-01

The present work is aimed at studying the extraction systems based on neutral organophosphorus extractants - phosphorylated calixarenes for recovery of Pd and Tc together with Am and Cm from high-level radioactive wastes. Extraction of Pd, Tc and Eu (Am) was studied for phosphorylated calixarenes in meta-nitrobenzotrifluoride (NBTF). Main results are presented in Table. On the basis of available data one can suggest that type and position of phosphor-organic substituents are not so important for extraction of Tc and Pd, as for Eu and Am extraction. The phosphorylated at upper rim calix[4]arenas with small alkyl substituents at phosphorus atom are of prime interest for joint recovery of europium, americium, technetium and palladium. (authors)

Radiation consequences of combatant radioactive substances tests on the Semipalatinsk Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strilchuk, Yu.G.; Osintsev, A.Yu.; Kuzin, D.E.; Bryantseva, N.V.; Bozhko, V.V.; Tonevitskaya, O.V.; Panitskaya, D.S.; Lukashenko, S.N.; Georgievskij, V.; Murley, R.; Wells, D.

2008-01-01

Nuclear explosions were not the only type of tests carried out on the STS territory. In 1953 - 1957 the STS territory was the area of testing of combatant radioactive substances (CRS). Combatant radioactive substances were liquid or powder-like combatment radioactive mixtures manufactured either from the wastes of radiochemical industry or by neutron irradiation of specally selected substances in nuclear reactor. Their specific activity ranged from tenths of Curie to several Curie per liter. CRS tests were made on testing grounds ''4'' and ''4A'' situated near northern outpost beyond the Opytnoye Pole (Experimental field). Dispersion of CRS was achieved by blasting of individual shells, bombardment of the area by mortar shells, bombardment from aircraft bombers or dispersion of CRS from airplanes. Investigations carried out in the past years on the territory of the testing grounds discovered fragments of metal products used in the CRS tests and over 30 areas of local radioactive contamination. 90 Sr was the main radioactive pollutant, whose specific activity in upper soil is as high as 5*10 8 Bq/kg; other radionuclides are presented by isotopes: 239+240 Pu, 152 Eu, 154 Eu, 137 Cs, 241 Am, 60 Co. The areas of radioactively-contaminated soil range from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of square meters with some of them expanding to distances of several kilometers. Concentration of radionuclides in soil and vegetation may be compared with that of radioactive waste

EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. Epitaxial growth and properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutarto, Ronny

2009-01-01

Europium oxide (EuO) based materials exhibit a wealth of spectacular phenomena, including half-metallic ferromagnetism, metal-insulator transition, colossal magneto-resistance, large magneto-optical Kerr effect, tunable ferromagnetic ordering temperatures, and large and long-lived photo-induced conductivity. These extraordinary properties make EuO an ideal candidate for implementation in device applications, in particular, for spintronics. Most of the work in the past has been carried out on bulk EuO, but for device applications it is preferred to have the EuO in thin lm form. A urry of studies have therefore emerged in the last decade in order to explore a wide variety of preparation routes and to investigate the properties of the resulting EuO thin films. A recent highlight is the demonstration that doped EuO films can be fabricated on Si and GaN, thereby exhibiting the expected spin-polarized transport effects. Nevertheless, it is still far from a trivial task to prepare EuO thin films with well de ned properties. For bulk EuO, it is already known that stoichiometry is the key issue, and that the presence of small amounts of defects or impurities quickly lead to very large deviations of the material properties. In fact, to make bulk EuO to be stoichiometric one needs temperatures as high as 1800 C. It is obvious that such high temperatures are not compatible with device engineering processes. The preparation of thin films must therefore involve much lower temperatures, preferably not higher than 400-500 C. The consequences are very dear. It turned out that many of the recent studies on EuO thin films are suffering from sample quality problems, due to the presence of, e.g., trivalent Eu species (Eu 3 O 4 , Eu 2 O 3 ), oxygen vacancies, or even Eu metal clusters. Controlled doping of the EuO with trivalent rare-earth ions is also not trivial, since most often even the actual doping concentrations were not known. In fact, one could also question in this respect the

EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. Epitaxial growth and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutarto, Ronny

2009-07-06

Europium oxide (EuO) based materials exhibit a wealth of spectacular phenomena, including half-metallic ferromagnetism, metal-insulator transition, colossal magneto-resistance, large magneto-optical Kerr effect, tunable ferromagnetic ordering temperatures, and large and long-lived photo-induced conductivity. These extraordinary properties make EuO an ideal candidate for implementation in device applications, in particular, for spintronics. Most of the work in the past has been carried out on bulk EuO, but for device applications it is preferred to have the EuO in thin lm form. A urry of studies have therefore emerged in the last decade in order to explore a wide variety of preparation routes and to investigate the properties of the resulting EuO thin films. A recent highlight is the demonstration that doped EuO films can be fabricated on Si and GaN, thereby exhibiting the expected spin-polarized transport effects. Nevertheless, it is still far from a trivial task to prepare EuO thin films with well de ned properties. For bulk EuO, it is already known that stoichiometry is the key issue, and that the presence of small amounts of defects or impurities quickly lead to very large deviations of the material properties. In fact, to make bulk EuO to be stoichiometric one needs temperatures as high as 1800 C. It is obvious that such high temperatures are not compatible with device engineering processes. The preparation of thin films must therefore involve much lower temperatures, preferably not higher than 400-500 C. The consequences are very dear. It turned out that many of the recent studies on EuO thin films are suffering from sample quality problems, due to the presence of, e.g., trivalent Eu species (Eu{sub 3}O{sub 4}, Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3}), oxygen vacancies, or even Eu metal clusters. Controlled doping of the EuO with trivalent rare-earth ions is also not trivial, since most often even the actual doping concentrations were not known. In fact, one could also question in

New reddish-orange and greenish-yellow light emitting phosphors: Eu3+ and Tb3+/Eu3+ in sodium germanate glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Álvarez, E.; Zayas, Ma. E.; Alvarado-Rivera, J.; Félix-Domínguez, F.; Duarte-Zamorano, R.P.; Caldiño, U.

2014-01-01

A spectroscopic analysis of sodium germanate glasses activated with Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ is performed from their photoluminescence spectra and decay times. In the Eu 3+ -singly doped glass reddish-orange light emission, with x=0.64 and y=0.35 CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, is obtained upon Eu 3+ excitation at 393 nm. Such chromaticity coordinates are close to those (0.67, 0.33) proposed by the National Television Standard Committee for the red phosphor. When the sodium germanate glass is co-doped with Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ greenish-yellow light emission, with (0.41, 0.46) CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, is obtained upon Tb 3+ excitation at 344 nm. Such greenish-yellow luminescence is due mainly to the terbium 5 D 4 → 7 F 6,5 and europium 5 D 0 → 7 F 1,2 emissions, Eu 3+ being sensitized by Tb 3+ through a non-radiative energy transfer. The non-radiative nature of this energy transfer is inferred from the increase in the decay rate of the Tb 3+ emission when the glass is co-doped with Eu 3+ . From an analysis of the Tb 3+ emission decay time curves it is inferred that such energy transfer might take place between Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ clusters through a short-range interaction mechanism. - Highlights: • Sodium germanate glasses are optically activated with Eu 3+ (GNE) and Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ (GNTE). • Reddish-orange light (0.64, 0.35) is generated by GNE pumped with 393 nm light. • Greenish-yellow light (0.41, 0.46) is generated by GNTE pumped with 344 nm light. • Non-radiative energy transfer Tb 3+ →Eu 3+ takes place in GNTE

Environmental radioactivity. Measurement and monitoring; Umweltradioaktivitaet. Messung und Ueberwachung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-11-15

The contribution on environmental radioactivity covers the following issues: natural and artificial radioactivity; continuous monitoring of radioactivity; monitoring authorities and measurement; radioactivity in the living environment; radioactivity in food and feeding stuff; radioactivity of game meat and wild-growing mushrooms; radioactivity in mines; radioactivity in the research center Rossendorf.

Researches on the management of high activity and long-lived radioactive wastes. Axis 1 - separation-transmutation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

This document gathers the transparencies of seven presentations given at a technical workshop of the French nuclear energy society (SFEN) about the researches on separation-transmutation of high activity and long-lived radioactive wastes. The presentations deal with: inventory and radiotoxicity of the rad-wastes in concern; industrial experience; experience on chemical separation: molecules and processes; reactors physics and transmutation - reactors for transmutation; fuels and targets; scenarios that include transmutation; environmental impacts of these different scenarios. (J.S.)

A survey of the transport of radioactive materials by air to, from and within the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, J.S.; Watson, S.J.

2004-01-01

Radioactive materials are frequently transported overseas by air for medical and industrial purposes. Among the advantages of this mode of transport is that urgent delivery is often required because some radionuclides are short lived. There are also a limited number of shipments by air within the UK. Scheduled passenger services or freight only aircraft may be used. Packages of radioactive materials are transported in aircraft holds at recommended segregation distances from areas occupied by passengers and crew. Many workers are involved in air transport and it is necessary to have procedures in place to minimise their exposure to ionising radiation

Individual protection against inhalation of long living radioactive dust due to an uncontrolled release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streil, T.; Oeser, V.; Rambousky, R.; Buchholz, F.W.

2005-01-01

Full text: Individual protection against inhalation of long living radioactive dust (LLRD) saves human life and health. LLRD may occur in natural environment as well as in case of nuclear accidence or military (DU- munitions) and terrorist attacks (dirty bombs). MyRIAM is the acronym for my radioactivity in air monitor and points out that the device was designed for personal use to detect any radioactivity in the air at the place and at the moment of the danger. Therefore, it is the unique way to detect dangerous exposures in time to warn the public. The active air sampling process enables a detection limit several orders of magnitude below that of Gamma detectors. But in any case, the immediate warning of the population is from major meaning. Keep in mind: it is very easy to avoid LLRD inhalation - but you have to recognize the imminent danger. The second requirement of gap-less documentation and reliable assessment of any derived LLRD exposure is building the bridge to dosimetry applications. The paper demonstrates the possibility to design small and low cost air samplers, which can be used as personal, alarm dosimeters and fulfil the requirements mentioned above. The system is able to warn with a time resolution of 1 minute in the order of 10 % of the yearly radiation limit of 20 mSv/y. Several test measurements taken by a mobile phone sized MyRIAM, shall be used to demonstrate the correctness of this statement. (author)

Competitive effect of metallic canister and clay barrier on the sorption of Eu3+ under subcritical conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Mrabet, Said; Castro, Miguel A.; Orta, M. Mar; Pazos, M. Carolina; Alba, Maria D.; Astudillo, Julio; Rueda, Silvia; Hurtado, Santiago; Villa, Mara

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The disposal of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) such as spent fuel or reprocessing waste resulting from the operation and dismantling of nuclear reactors is one of the most problems facing the worlds because of its long half life and radionuclide migration to the biosphere. For long term performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal, knowledge concerning radionuclide retention processes on materials composing the engineered barrier (clay and container waste) is required. Steel waste containers and bentonite have been proposed as candidate materials for overpack and buffer respectively in most of the proposed repositories designs for nuclear waste disposal. This contribution aims to study the competitiveness of the bentonite and the metallic canister in the retention process of some kinds of radioactive waste such as 152 Eu. The europium was chosen because it is a toxic metal and usually taken as a simulator of the trivalent high level radioactive waste. In order to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the retention processes of europium by both bentonite and metallic canister, a cylindrical steel mini-reactor was designed and prepared from the same material as the steel reactor AISI-316L. The bentonite was then introduced and compacted within the mini-reactor forming a set mini-reactor- bentonite. The system mini-reactor -bentonite was then subjected to hydrothermal treatments at 300 deg. C for 4.5 days. The morphology and chemical composition of both steel and bentonite were analyzed by XRD and SEM. SEM and XRD results revealed that both the bentonite and the metallic canister were involved in sorption mechanism of europium by the formation of insoluble phases of europium silicates originated from the mixed solution of bentonite, Eu 3+ and canister. The pH-Redox potential (Eh) indicated that the interlayer cations of bentonite were replaced by Eu 3+ with higher acidity and Eh which means that the active

Short-lived pollutants in the Arctic: their climate impact and possible mitigation strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Menon

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Several short-lived pollutants known to impact Arctic climate may be contributing to the accelerated rates of warming observed in this region relative to the global annually averaged temperature increase. Here, we present a summary of the short-lived pollutants that impact Arctic climate including methane, tropospheric ozone, and tropospheric aerosols. For each pollutant, we provide a description of the major sources and the mechanism of forcing. We also provide the first seasonally averaged forcing and corresponding temperature response estimates focused specifically on the Arctic. The calculations indicate that the forcings due to black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone lead to a positive surface temperature response indicating the need to reduce emissions of these species within and outside the Arctic. Additional aerosol species may also lead to surface warming if the aerosol is coincident with thin, low lying clouds. We suggest strategies for reducing the warming based on current knowledge and discuss directions for future research to address the large remaining uncertainties.

Short-lived pollutants in the Arctic: their climate impact and possible mitigation strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menon, Surabi; Quinn, P.K.; Bates, T.S.; Baum, E.; Doubleday, N.; Fiore, A.M.; Flanner, M.; Fridlind, A.; Garrett, T.J.; Koch, D.; Menon, S.; Shindell, D.; Stohl, A.; Warren, S.G.

2007-09-24

Several short-lived pollutants known to impact Arctic climate may be contributing to the accelerated rates of warming observed in this region relative to the global annually averaged temperature increase. Here, we present a summary of the short-lived pollutants that impact Arctic climate including methane, tropospheric ozone, and tropospheric aerosols. For each pollutant, we provide a description of the major sources and the mechanism of forcing. We also provide the first seasonally averaged forcing and corresponding temperature response estimates focused specifically on the Arctic. The calculations indicate that the forcings due to black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone lead to a positive surface temperature response indicating the need to reduce emissions of these species within and outside the Arctic. Additional aerosol species may also lead to surface warming if the aerosol is coincident with thin, low lying clouds. We suggest strategies for reducing the warming based on current knowledge and discuss directions for future research to address the large remaining uncertainties.

Measurement comparisons of radioactivity among European monitoring laboratories for the environment and food stuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waetjen, U.; Spasova, Y.; Altzitzoglou, T.

2008-01-01

For more than 15 years, European Union (EU) laboratories monitoring environmental radioactivity have been obliged to participate in measurement comparisons organised by the European Commission. After a short review of comparisons conducted during the 1990s, the approach of IRMM organising these comparisons since 2003 is presented. It relies on the provision of comparison samples with reference values traceable to the International Reference System for radionuclides (SIR). The results of the most recent comparison, the determination of 40 K, 90 Sr and 137 Cs in milk powder, are presented. The influence of repetitive participation in measurement comparisons on laboratory performance is studied on the basis of data from more than 20 laboratories having participated in several exercises during the last 15 years

AMS - a database system for recording the flow of radioactivity at the TRIGA Mainz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiehl, N.; Weber, M.; Heimann, R.; Heiser, A.; Trautmann, N.; Eberhardt, K. [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Kernchemie

1996-07-01

Starting in 1994, annual reports of the flow of radioactivity have been generated. At that time all operator programs and the operator parts of the database were running. Since 1996 the programs ABM and BAG are introduced, so the whole system is now in use since about one year. A next step will be the calculation of the activities of long-lived daughter nuclides decaying from short lived activation products. Furthermore we are planning to include personal dose rate factors for penetrating and surgical radiation. This will allow to estimate possible risks handling {alpha}- or {beta}- emitters with and without covering. (orig.)

Selection of targets and ion sources for RIB generation at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.

1995-01-01

In this report, the authors describe the performance characteristics for a selected number of target ion sources that will be employed for initial use at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) as well as prototype ion sources that show promise for future use for RIB applications. A brief review of present efforts to select target materials and to design composite target matrix/heat-sink systems that simultaneously incorporate the short diffusion lengths, high permeabilities, and controllable temperatures required to effect fast and efficient diffusion release of the short-lived species is also given

Dynamical Detection of Topological Phase Transitions in Short-Lived Atomic Systems

OpenAIRE

Setiawan, F.; Sengupta, K.; Spielman, I. B.; Sau, Jay D.

2015-01-01

We demonstrate that dynamical probes provide direct means of detecting the topological phase transition (TPT) between conventional and topological phases, which would otherwise be difficult to access because of loss or heating processes. We propose to avoid such heating by rapidly quenching in and out of the short-lived topological phase across the transition that supports gapless excitations. Following the quench, the distribution of excitations in the final conventional phase carries signat...

Validation of Six Short and Ultra-short Screening Instruments for Depression for People Living with HIV in Ontario

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choi, Stephanie KY; Boyle, Eleanor; Burchell, Ann

2015-01-01

Objective Major depression affects up to half of people living with HIV. However, among HIV-positive patients, depression goes unrecognized 60–70% of the time in non-psychiatric settings. We sought to evaluate three screening instruments and their short forms to facilitate the recognition...... acceptance. This could lead to clinical benefits in fast-paced speciality HIV care settings and better management of depression in HIV-positive patients....

EU focus on climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Faced with the mounting evidence of the harmful effects of climate change, the European Union is convinced that the world must take urgent action to tackle the problem. That is why the EU has been at the forefront of international efforts to deal with climate change for well over a decade. The EU is convinced that the status quo is simply not an option. Without urgent, concerted action, the problem will continue to get worse with potentially disastrous consequences. That is why the European Union has consistently taken the lead in international moves to tackle climate change and why it will continue to develop this strategy for as long as it takes to guarantee a world for ourselves and our children where everyone can grow, breathe and live in safety

Centuries of thermal sea-level rise due to anthropogenic emissions of short-lived greenhouse gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Zickfeld, Kirsten; Solomon, Susan; Gilford, Daniel M

2017-01-24

Mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gases with short lifetimes (order of a year to decades) can contribute to limiting warming, but less attention has been paid to their impacts on longer-term sea-level rise. We show that short-lived greenhouse gases contribute to sea-level rise through thermal expansion (TSLR) over much longer time scales than their atmospheric lifetimes. For example, at least half of the TSLR due to increases in methane is expected to remain present for more than 200 y, even if anthropogenic emissions cease altogether, despite the 10-y atmospheric lifetime of this gas. Chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons have already been phased out under the Montreal Protocol due to concerns about ozone depletion and provide an illustration of how emission reductions avoid multiple centuries of future TSLR. We examine the "world avoided" by the Montreal Protocol by showing that if these gases had instead been eliminated in 2050, additional TSLR of up to about 14 cm would be expected in the 21st century, with continuing contributions lasting more than 500 y. Emissions of the hydrofluorocarbon substitutes in the next half-century would also contribute to centuries of future TSLR. Consideration of the time scales of reversibility of TSLR due to short-lived substances provides insights into physical processes: sea-level rise is often assumed to follow air temperature, but this assumption holds only for TSLR when temperatures are increasing. We present a more complete formulation that is accurate even when atmospheric temperatures are stable or decreasing due to reductions in short-lived gases or net radiative forcing.

Short-lived cyclotron-produced radioisotopes: Medi-Physics, Inc.'s commitment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, H.H.

1985-01-01

Medi-Physics, Inc., is a major US supplier of short-lived cyclotron-produced radioisotopes for radiopharmaceuticals, as well as routinely producing and distributing the greatest number of 123 I radiopharmaceuticals. The present commercial production capacity for 123 I is more than ten times the theoretical need for existing procedures and is more than adequate for the research and development of new radiopharmaceuticals. However, production capacity is only one component of many that are required to supply a radioisotope for human use. These components are summarized in this paper

Fusion reactor radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaser, J.D.; Postma, A.K.; Bradley, D.J.

1976-01-01

Quantities and compositions of non-tritium radioactive waste are estimated for some current conceptual fusion reactor designs, and disposal of large amounts of radioactive waste appears necessary. Although the initial radioactivity of fusion reactor and fission reactor wastes are comparable, the radionuclides in fusion reactor wastes are less hazardous and have shorter half-lives. Areas requiring further research are discussed

Transmutation of high-level radioactive waste - Perspectives

CERN Document Server

Junghans, Arnd; Grosse, Eckart; Hannaske, Roland; Kögler, Toni; Massarczyk, Ralf; Schwengner, Ronald; Wagner, Andreas

2014-01-01

In a fast neutron spectrum essentially all long-lived actinides (e.g. Plutonium) undergo fission and thus can be transmuted into generally short lived fission products. Innovative nuclear reactor concepts e.g. accelerator driven systems (ADS) are currently in development that foresee a closed fuel cycle. The majority of the fissile nuclides (uranium, plutonium) shall be used for power generation and only fission products will be put into final disposal that needs to last for a historical time scale of only 1000 years. For the transmutation of high-level radioactive waste a lot of research and development is still required. One aspect is the precise knowledge of nuclear data for reactions with fast neutrons. Nuclear reactions relevant for transmutation are being investigated in the framework of the european project ERINDA. First results from the new neutron time-of-flight facility nELBE at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf will be presented.

Targets for ion sources for RIB generation at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.

1995-01-01

The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF), now under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is based on the use of the well-known on-line isotope separator (ISOL) technique in which radioactive nuclei are produced by fusion type reactions in selectively chosen target materials by high-energy proton, deuteron, or He ion beams from the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron (ORIC). Among several major challenges posed by generating and accelerating adequate intensities of radioactive ion beams (RIBs), selection of the most appropriate target material for production of the species of interest is, perhaps, the most difficult. In this report, we briefly review present efforts to select target materials and to design composite target matrix/heat-sink systems that simultaneously incorporate the short diffusion lengths, high permeabilities, and controllable temperatures required to effect maximum diffusion release rates of the short-lived species that can be realized at the temperature limits of specific target materials. We also describe the performance characteristics for a selected number of target ion sources that will be employed for initial use at the HRIBF as well as prototype ion sources that show promise for future use for RIB applications

Impact of partitioning and transmutation in radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magill, J.

2006-01-01

Nuclear energy provides a significant contribution to the overall energy supply in Europe. With 148 reactors in 13 of the 25 Member States producing a total power of 125 G We, the resulting energy generation of 850 TWh per year provides 35% of the total electrical energy requirements in the European Union. Worldwide, 441 commercial reactors operate in 31 countries and provide 17% of the electrical requirements. Currently 32 nuclear reactors are being built worldwide mostly in India, China and in neighbouring countries. The used fuel discharged from nuclear power plants constitutes the main contribution to nuclear waste in countries which do not undertake reprocessing. As such, its disposal requires isolation from the biosphere in stable deep geological formations for long periods of time (some hundred thousand years) until its radioactivity decreases through the process of radioactive decay. Ways for significantly reducing the volumes and radio toxicities of the waste and to shorten the very long times for which the waste must be stored safely are being investigated. This is the motivation behind the partitioning and transmutation (P and T) activities worldwide. Most of the hazard from the spent fuel stems from only a few chemical elements, namely plutonium, neptunium, americium, curium, and some long-lived fission products such as iodine, caesium and technetium. At present approximately 2500 t of spent fuel are produced annually in the EU, containing about 25 t of plutonium, and 3.5 t of the minor actinides neptunium, americium and curium, and about 3 t of long-lived fission products. These radioactive by-products, although present in relatively low concentrations in the used fuel, are a hazard to life forms when released into the environment. This paper addresses the potential impact of P and T on the long-term disposal of nuclear waste. In particular, it evaluates how realistic P and T scenarios can lead to a reduction in the time required for the waste to be

A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR DISPOSITION OF LONG-LIVED RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksson, Leif G.; Dials, George E.; Parker, Frank L.

2003-01-01

During the past 45 years, one of the most challenging scientific, engineering, socio-economic, and political tasks and obligations of our time has been to site and develop technical, politically acceptable, solutions to the safe disposition of long-lived radioactive materials (LLRMs). However, at the end of the year 2002, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in the United States of America (USA) hosts the world's only operating LLRM-disposal system, which (1) is based on the LLRM-disposal principles recommended by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1957, i.e., deep geological disposal in a ''stable'' salt vault/repository, (2) complies with the nation's ''Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes'', and (3) may receive 175,584 cubic meters (m3) of transuranic radioactive waste (TRUW)a. Pending the scheduled opening of repositories for once-used nuclear fuel (OUNF) in the USA, Sweden, and Finland in the years 2010, 2015, and 2017, respectively, LLRM-disposal solutions remain the missing link in all national LLRM-disposition programs. Furthermore, for a variety of reasons, many nations with nuclear programs have chosen a ''spectator'' stance in terms of enhancing the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, and have either ''slow-tracked'' or deferred their LLRM-disposal programs to allow time for an informed national consensus to evolve based on LLRM-disposition experiences and solutions gained elsewhere. In the meantime, LLRMs will continue to amass in different types and levels of safeguarded storage facilities around the world. In an attempt to contribute to the enhancement of the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, the authors developed the sample holistic approach for synergistic disposition of LLRMs comprising LLRM-disposition components considered either ''proven'' or ''promising'' by the authors. The

Development and application of the generator for the short-living nuclides production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsejner, A.

1979-01-01

The results are stated of investigations by means of radioisotopes on the substance transfer in technological equipment. For these purposes, in most cases, nuclides with high gamma-activity are used and, if possible, having short half-life because the short half-life gives certain advantages in the cases when it is impossible to store radioactive substances in the technological equipment for a long time. It is noted that in connection with short half-life of the nucludes used for labelling and for the economic and radiation safety reasons, activity of these nuclides can not be high. It has been established that the most suitable nuclide for the labelling purpose is lanthanum-140 produced either in a nuclear reactor, or by means of separation from barium=-140 transforming into lanthanum-140 in an isotopic generator. Some methods of lanthanum separation from barium are described, in particular, in the isotopic generator described, barium is adsorbed on the cation-exchanger KPS-200 having high enough stability with respect to the ionozing radiations. As an eluent the 10 -2 M solution of the complexone (Na 2 - EDTA) was used. The complexone solution can be easely obtained and, because of the hydrolysis, it serves as a buffer solution. The data are given for radiation purity and yield of lanthanum-=140 [ru

Effects of radioactivity on living organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metivier, H.; Flury-Herard, A.; Cadet, J.

1996-01-01

After the discovery of X-rays by W.C. Roentgen and the discovery of radioactivity by H. Becquerel, about a century ago, the scientists were aware of the damaging effects of ionizing radiations on men. This digest paper describes the biological effects of internal and external irradiations: dose distributions, radio-induced DNA injuries, cells death, DNA mutations, carcinomas, radio-therapy, radiosterilization and ionization of food. (J.S.)

Environmental and ethical aspects of long-lived radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

All countries engaged in nuclear production give special attention to the safe disposal of radioactive waste, particularly concerning long-term protection of humans and the environment. Many other countries using radioactive materials for medical, industrial or research purposes only are also concerned by this issue. Practically speaking, all countries are generally interested in keeping abreast of the development of radioactive waste management policies and of underlying technical and non-technical studies. These issues and their influence on the decision-making process were examined at a special workshop of the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee. This volume presents the full proceedings of that workshop, including papers and transcribed discussions, which sought to provide a broad basis for an in-depth reflection on long-term disposal issues. (authors). 79 refs., 1 tab

Rapid transfer of short-lived radioisotopes via a 2. 4 km rabbit system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burgerjon, J J; Gelbart, Z; Lau, V; Lehnart, D; Lenz, J; Pate, B D; Ruth, T J; Sprenger, H P; van Oers, N S.C.

1984-09-01

A 2.4 km long pipeline between a cyclotron and a hospital is used for the rapid transfer of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals. The vials containing the pharmaceuticals are placed inside capsules (rabbits) that are blown through a tube by means of compressed air. Travel times as short as 2 min are achieved, which makes the system suitable for the transfer of /sup 15/O, which has a 2 min half-life. The construction and test results of the system are described along with a computer model, developed to explain some properties of the system. 7 references, 15 figures, 2 tables.

Research of activation cross sections for long-lived radionuclides on elements of Cu, Mo, Ag, Eu and Tb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Hanlin; Yu Weixiang; Zhao Wenrong

1990-01-01

The cross sections for 109 Ag(n,2n) 108m Ag, 151 Eu(n,2n) 150m Eu, 153 Eu(n,2n) 152g Eu and 159 Tb(n,2n) 158 Tb reactions have been measured by the activation method at 14 MeV. The results were compared with existing data and calculations of systematic and Code HFTT which was based on the compound nucleus evaporation model and the preequilibrium exciton model. (author). 14 refs, 6 figs, 4 tabs

Prospects for high-power radioactive beam facilities worldwide

CERN Document Server

Nolen, Jerry A

2003-01-01

Advances in accelerators, targets, ion sources, and experimental instrumentation are making possible ever more powerful facilities for basic and applied research with short-lived radioactive isotopes. There are several current generation facilities, based on a variety of technologies, operating worldwide. These include, for example, those based on the in-flight method such as the recently upgraded National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University, the facility at RIKEN in Japan, GANIL in Caen, France, and GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. Present facilities based on the Isotope-Separator On-Line method include, for example, the ISOLDE laboratory at CERN, HRIBF at Oak Ridge, and the new high-power facility ISAC at TRIUMF in Vancouver. Next-generation facilities include the Radioactive-Ion Factory upgrade of RIKEN to higher energy and intensity and the upgrade of ISAC to a higher energy secondary beam; both of these projects are in progress. A new project, LINAG, to upgrade the capabilities at...

Fee structures for low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, A.A.; Baird, R.D.; Rogers, V.C.

1988-01-01

Some compacts and states require that the fee system at their new low-level waste (LLW) disposal facility be based on the volume and radioactive hazard of the wastes. The fee structure discussed in this paper includes many potential fee elements that could be used to recover the costs of disposal and at the same time influence the volume and nature of waste that arrives at the disposal facility. It includes a base fee which accounts for some of the underlying administrative costs of disposal, and a broad range of charges related to certain parameters of the waste, such as volume, radioactivity, etc. It also includes credits, such as credits for waste with short-lived radionuclides or superior waste forms. The fee structure presented should contain elements of interest to all states and compacts. While no single disposal facility is likely to incorporate all of the elements discussed here in its fee structure, the paper presents a fairly exhaustive list of factors worth considering

From EuCARD to EuCARD-2

CERN Multimedia

Chaudron, M

2013-01-01

The one word that best describes the spirit of the EuCARD ’13 event (see here) that took place from 10 to 14 June at CERN is "collaboration". The event brought together more than 180 accelerator specialists from all over the world to celebrate the conclusion of the EuCARD project and to kick off its successor, EuCARD-2.   EuCARD-2 brings a global view to particle accelerator research in order to address challenges for future generations of accelerators. The project officially began on 1 May 2013 and will run for four years. With a total budget of €23.4 million, including an €8 million EU contribution, it will build upon the success of EuCARD and push it into an even more innovative regime. EuCARD-2 aims to significantly enhance multidisciplinary R&D for European accelerators and will actively contribute to the development of a European Research Area in accelerator science. This will be accomplished by promoting complementary expertise, cross-d...

Radioactivity measurements in Egyptian Phosphate Mines and Their Significance As a Source of Hazardous Radioactive Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, A.Z.; Hussein, M.I.; Abdel Hady, M.L.

1999-01-01

Phosphate mines that may contain radioactive traces in the composition of their ores represent source of hazardous radioactive waste in the environment. Radioactivity measurements have been conducted in nine underground phosphate mines in the Egyptian Eastern Desert in order to estimate the occupational radiation exposure of mine workers in those mining sites. Measurements were carried out of airborne radon and its short- lived decay products (progeny) and thoron progeny, as well as radiation from mines walls, ceilings and floors. Conventional, well established techniques, methods and instrumentation were used to make these measurements. Comparison of experimental data and theoretical predictions showed partial agreement between these two sets of data. This result is partly attributed to the complex layout of these mines, which causes undesirable ventilation conditions, such as recirculation airflow patterns, which could not be adequately identified or quantified. The radiation data obtained were used to estimate the maximum Annual Dose (MAD), and other important occupational radiation exposure variables. These calculations indicate that in eight out of the nine mines surveyed, the MAD exceeded (by a factor of up to 7) the maximum recommended level by ICRP 60. Numbers of suggestions are made in order to reduce the MAD in the affected mines. This study could help in the estimation of the environmental impact of these mine operations on the environment

Assessment of studies and researches on warehousing - High-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes - December 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This large report first presents the approach adopted for the study and research on the warehousing of high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes. It outlines how reversible storage and warehousing are complementary, discusses the lessons learned from researches performed by the CEA on long duration warehousing, presents the framework of studies and researches performed since 2006, and presents the scientific and technical content of studies and researches (warehousing need analysis, search for technical options providing complementarity with storage, extension or creation of warehousing installations). The second part addresses high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive waste parcels, indicates their origins and quantities. The third part proposes an analysis of warehousing capacities: existing capacities, French industrial experience in waste parcel warehousing, foreign experience in waste warehousing. The fourth part addresses reversible storage in deep geological formation: storage safety functions, storage reversibility, storage parcels, storage architecture, chronicle draft. The fifth part proposes an inventory of warehousing needs in terms of additional capacities for the both types of wastes (high-level, and intermediate-level-long-lived), and discusses warehousing functionalities and safety objectives. The sixth and seventh parts propose a detailed overview of design options for warehousing installations, respectively for high-level and for intermediate-level-long-lived waste parcels: main technical issues, feasibility studies of different concepts or architecture shapes, results of previous studies and introduction to studies performed since 2011, possible evolutions of the HA1, HA2 and MAVL concepts. The eighth chapter reports a phenomenological analysis of warehousing and the optimisation of material selection and construction arrangements. The last part discusses the application of researches to the extension of the

EU Udbudsretten

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Sune Troels; Jakobsen, Peter Stig; Kalsmose-Hjelmborg, Simon Evers

I bogen, som er en 2. udgave, analyseres EU udbudsdirektiv for offentlige myndigheder og EU's forsyningsvirksomhedsdirektiv. I analyserne inddrages EU-domstolens domme, afgørelser fra Kalgenævnet for Udbud, domme fra danske domstole samt litteratur på dansk og engelsk.......I bogen, som er en 2. udgave, analyseres EU udbudsdirektiv for offentlige myndigheder og EU's forsyningsvirksomhedsdirektiv. I analyserne inddrages EU-domstolens domme, afgørelser fra Kalgenævnet for Udbud, domme fra danske domstole samt litteratur på dansk og engelsk....

Issues and Experiences on Radioactive Waste Quality Control / Quality Assurance with Regard to Future Disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckmerhagen, I.; Brennecke, P.; Steyer, S.; Bandt, G.

2006-01-01

In the Federal Republic of Germany all types of radioactive waste (short-lived, long-lived) are to be disposed of in deep geological formations. Thus, the safe management of radioactive waste presupposes an appropriate conditioning of primary waste-to-waste packages suitable for emplacement in a repository as well as the documentation of pre-treatment, processing and packaging steps and the waste package characteristics being relevant for disposal. Due to the operation, decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities as well as the application of radioisotopes in industry, medicine and research and development radioactive waste continuously arises in Germany. In order to manage this waste different measures and procedures regarding its conditioning and quality control/quality assurance were introduced and since many years successfully applied. Waste conditioning is especially characterized by a flexible application of the Konrad waste acceptance requirements. The rationale for this approach is due to the present non-availability of a repository in Germany. Several examples of a 'tailor-made' application of the waste acceptance requirements in treatment, conditioning and documentation processes as well as the quality assurance/quality control processes illustrate the current German approach. (authors)

Development of the k0-based cyclic neutron activation analysis for short-lived radionuclides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dung, H.M.; Blaauw, M.; Beasley, D.; Freitas, M.D.C.

2011-01-01

The k0-based cyclic neutron activation analysis (k0-CNAA) technique has been studied to explore the applicability at the Portuguese research reactor (RPI). In particular, for the determination of elements which form short-lived radionuclides, particularly fluorine (20F, 11.16 s half-life) and

Antiferromagnetism in EuPdGe{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albedah, Mohammed A. [Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 (Canada); Al-Qadi, Khalid [Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 (Canada); Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha (Qatar); Stadnik, Zbigniew M., E-mail: stadnik@uottawa.ca [Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 (Canada); Przewoźnik, Janusz [Solid State Physics Department, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Kraków (Poland)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • We show that EuPdGe{sub 3} crystallizes in the BaNiSn{sub 3}-type structure with the lattice constants a = 4.4457(1) Å and c = 10.1703(2). • We demonstrate that EuPdGe{sub 3} is an antiferromagnet with the Néel temperature T{sub N} = 12.16(1) K. • The temperature dependence of the hyperfine magnetic field follows a S = 7/2 Brillouin function. • We find that the Debye temperature of the studied compound is 199(2) K. - Abstract: The results of X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility and magnetization, and {sup 151}Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements of polycrystalline EuPdGe{sub 3} are reported. EuPdGe{sub 3} crystallizes in the BaNiSn{sub 3}-type tetragonal structure (space group I4mm) with the lattice constants a=4.4457(1)Å and c=10.1703(2)Å. The results are consistent with EuPdGe{sub 3} being an antiferromagnet with the Néel temperature T{sub N}=12.16(1)K and with the Eu spins S=7/2 in the ab plane. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility above T{sub N} follows the modified Curie-Weiss law with the effective magnetic moment of 7.82(1) μ{sub B} per Eu atom and the paramagnetic Curie temperature of -5.3(1)K indicative of dominant antiferromagnetic interactions. The M(H) isotherms for temperatures approaching T{sub N} from above are indicative of dynamical short-range antiferromagnetic ordering in the sample. The temperature dependence of the hyperfine magnetic field follows a S=7/2 Brillouin function. The principal component of the electric field gradient tensor is shown to increase with decreasing temperature and is well described by a T{sup 3/2} power-law relation. The Debye temperature of EuPdGe{sub 3} determined from the Mössbauer data is 199(2) K.

Radioactive Waste Management - Community Policy and Research Initiatives. The sixth international conference on the management and disposal of radioactive waste - Euradwaste '04

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forsstroem, Hans [Research Directorate Energy, Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection, European Commission, MO-75 5/37, 200 avenue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels (Belgium); Ruiz, P Fernandez [DG Research, Energy, Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, CSN, C/ Justo Dorado, 11, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)

2004-07-01

The sixth international conference on the management and disposal of radioactive waste organized be European Commission, held on 29-31 March 2004 in Luxembourg aimed to cover the following objectives: - To present EC policy in waste management, in particular the proposed 'Directive on the Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste' and to discuss relating issues such as the effect on national programmes, site selection, EU added value, the case for EU safety standards, and various socio-political aspects; - To highlight the main results of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) of EURATOM for 'Nuclear Energy, Fission Research and Training Activities' in the field of waste in spent fuel management and disposal, and partitioning and transmutation; - To present examples of activities under FP5 and to discuss further research European integration through FP6. The program was divided into two main groups: 1. 'Community Policy and Socio-Political Aspects' which included sessions on community policy initiatives, disposal option, common safety standards and public involvement and acceptance; 2. 'Community Research Activities - FP5' which included sessions on partitioning and transmutation, geological disposal and research networking. There were 29 oral presentations and 36 poster presentations which, for the latter, allowed detailed presentations of the results of the EU-funded research projects. The conference was attended by some 240 participants from 27 countries.

Pangasius in the EU market; Prospects for the position of (ASC-certified) pangasius in the EU retail and food service sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beukers, R.; Pijl, van der W.; Duijn, van A.P.

2014-01-01

The objective of this market study is to investigate the potential short- and long-term benefits for investors to invest in the production of pangasius with a trademark based on ASC certification, for the retail and food service market segments in the EU market.

Market analysis and risk management of EU emissions trading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ollikainen, M.; Ollikka, K.; Aatola, P.; Ahonen, H.M.; Pohjola, T.; Kumpulainen, A.; Lappalainen, E.

2006-01-01

The first EU emissions trading period commenced on 1 January 2005. It implies new challenges to companies included in the scheme. A central challenge is the uncertainty related to the markets. In order to manage risks and profitability companies need to be able to estimate future price developments of emission allowances. University of Helsinki is conducting a research project in cooperation with Helsinki University of Technology that will provide necessary information for analyzing emission allowance markets and create risk management competence. The objectives of the research project are 1) to develop a price estimation model for EU emission allowances and 2) to develop risk management competence related to EU emission allowances. With the price estimation model the short-term price developments of EU emission allowances can be estimated. By utilizing the model companies can reduce uncertainties related to the markets. The project will also deliver a general risk management model for emission allowances that aims at improving competitiveness of companies. (orig.)

Radioactive ion beam production by the ISOL method for SPIRAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landre-Pellemoine, Frederique

2001-01-01

This work is directly related to the SPIRAL project (Systeme de Production d'Ions Radioactifs Acceleres en Lignes) of which the start up will begin in September 2001 at GANIL (Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds) in Caen. This thesis primarily concerns the development of radioactive ion production systems (target/ion source) by the thorough study of each production stage of the ISOL (Isotopic Separation On Line) method: target and/or projectile fragmentation production, diffusion out of target material, effusion into the ion source and finally the ionization of the radioactive atoms. A bibliographical research and thermal simulations allowed us to optimize materials and the shape of the production and diffusion targets. A first target was optimized and made reliable for the radioactive noble gases production (argon, neon...). A second target dedicated to the radioactive helium production was entirely designed and realised (from the specifications to the 'off line' and 'on line' tests). Finally, a third target source system was defined for singly-charged radioactive alkaline production. The intensities of secondary beams planned for SPIRAL are presented here. A detailed study of the diffusion effusion efficiency for these various targets showed that the use of a fine microstructure carbon (grain size of 1 μm) improved the diffusion and showed the importance of thickness of the lamella for the short lived isotope effusion. (author) [fr

Compton suppression spectrometry for analysis of short-lived neutron activation products in foods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.L.; Cunningham, W.C.

2008-01-01

Compton suppression spectrometry was used to analyze foods for elements with short-lived neutron activation products (half-lives of about 2 minutes to 1.5 days). Analysis conditions were optimized to provide quality assurance analyses for iodine in FDA's Total Diet Study. Iodine mass fractions (0.075 to 2.03 mg/kg) were measured in 19 of 42 foods analyzed, with limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 0.03 to 1.4 mg/kg, mostly depending on NaCl content. LODs were lowered by up to a factor of 2 for 16 elements. Suppression factors ranged from about 2 to 8 over the energy range 400 to 3200 keV. (author)

Canada: Living with radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

Canadians are exposed daily to a variety of naturally occurring radiation. Heat and light from the sun, are familiar examples. Radium and uranium are naturally occurring materials which have been found to emit radiation and so have been called radioactive. There are also various types of artificially produced forms of radiation that are employed routinely in modern living, such as radio and television waves and microwaves. X-rays, another common type of radiation, are widely used in medicine as are some man-made radioactive substances. These emit radiation just like naturally occurring radioactive materials. Surveys have shown that many people have a poor understanding of the risks associated with the activities of modern living. Exposure to ionizing radiation from radioactive materials is also considered by many persons to have a high risk, This booklet attempts to inform the readers about ionizing radiation, its uses and the risks associated with it, and to put these risks in perspective with the risks of other activities and practices. A range of topics from medical uses of radiation to emergency planning, from biological effects of radiation to nuclear power, each topic is explained to relate radiation to our everyday lives. 44 figs

Canada: Living with radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

Canadians are exposed daily to a variety of naturally occurring radiation. Heat and light from the sun, are familiar examples. Radium and uranium are naturally occurring materials which have been found to emit radiation and so have been called radioactive. There are also various types of artificially produced forms of radiation that are employed routinely in modern living, such as radio and television waves and microwaves. X-rays, another common type of radiation, are widely used in medicine as are some man-made radioactive substances. These emit radiation just like naturally occurring radioactive materials. Surveys have shown that many people have a poor understanding of the risks associated with the activities of modern living. Exposure to ionizing radiation from radioactive materials is also considered by many persons to have a high risk, This booklet attempts to inform the readers about ionizing radiation, its uses and the risks associated with it, and to put these risks in perspective with the risks of other activities and practices. A range of topics from medical uses of radiation to emergency planning, from biological effects of radiation to nuclear power, each topic is explained to relate radiation to our everyday lives. 44 figs.

Participation of CASSIOPEE in the EU technical assistance programmes to Eastern countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beceiro, A.R.; Vico, E.; Deconinck, J.M.

2000-01-01

CASSIOPEE, established in 1993, is a European Economic Interest Group formed by ANDRA (France), COVRA (the Netherlands), DBE (Germany), ENRESA (Spain), NIREX (United Kingdom) and ONDRAF/NIRAS (Belgium). CASSIOPEE provides assistance to the Central and Eastern European countries and to the New Independent States through the EU Programmes in two different ways: developing radioactive waste management strategies and advising on the implementation of adequate engineering resources.The advisory role of CASSIOPEE in the EU assistance programmes and main projects defined and/or developed by CASSIOPEE are presented. The activities in the area of low and intermediate level waste related to safety assessment of existing repositories, site selection, waste acceptance criteria ect. are given

Disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear research facilities

CERN Document Server

Maxeiner, H; Kolbe, E

2003-01-01

Swiss radioactive wastes originate from nuclear power plants (NPP) and from medicine (e.g. radiation sources), industry (e.g. fire detectors) and research (e.g. CERN, PSI). Their conditioning, characterisation and documentation has to meet the demands given by the Swiss regulatory authorities including all information needed for a safe disposal in future repositories. For NPP wastes, arisings as well as the processes responsible for the buildup of short and long lived radionuclides are well known, and the conditioning procedures are established. The radiological inventories are determined on a routinely basis using a combined system of measurements and calculational programs. For waste from research, the situation is more complicated. The wide spectrum of different installations combined with a poorly known history of primary and secondary radiation results in heterogeneous waste sorts with radiological inventories quite different from NPP waste and difficult to measure long lived radionuclides. In order to c...

Kinetic aspects of the syntheses using short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laangstroem, B.; Obenius, U.; Sjoeberg, S.; Bergson, G.

1981-01-01

In syntheses using short-lived radionuclides, such as 11 C, the reaction conditions are usually such that the concentrations of the reactants, except for the labelled reactant, can be considered constant during the reaction. Two kinetic models have been investigated - irreversible and reversible bimolecular elementary reactions. The influence of the rate constants, of the equilibrium constants, and of the ratio between the starting reactants on the yield of the labelled product has been studied. The results show that, even in cases with unfavourable equilibrium constants, high yields of the labelled products can be obtained if the rate constant for the forward reaction is large. In addition, the specific activity of the labelled product as a function of time has been studied for the irreversible bimolecular case. (author)

Activation of TRIGA Mark II research reactor concrete shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zagar, Tomaz; Ravnik, Matjaz; Bozic, Matjaz

2002-01-01

To determine neutron activation inside the TRIGA research reactor concrete body a special sample-holder for irradiation inside horizontal channel was developed and tested. In the sample-holder various samples can be irradiated at different concrete shielding depths. In this paper the description of the sample-holder, experiment conditions and results of long-lived activation measurements are given. Long-lived neutron-induced gamma-ray-emitting radioactive nuclides in the samples were measured with HPGe detector. The most active long-lived radioactive nuclides in ordinary concrete samples were found to be 60 Co and 152 Eu and in barytes concrete samples 60 Co, 152 Eu and 133 Ba. Measured activity density of all nuclides was found to decrease almost linearly with depth in logarithmic scale. (author)

Radioactive waste safety appraisal. An international peer review of the licence application for the Australian near surface radioactive waste disposal facility. Report of the IAEA International Review Team

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-05-01

Radioactive waste has been generated in Australia for a number of decades from the production and use of radioactive materials in medicine and industry, from the processing of various minerals containing natural radionuclides and from various research activities. It has been decided in the overall interest of safety and security to develop a radioactive waste disposal facility to accommodate the low level and short lived intermediate level waste, which make up the bulk of the waste, other than mining and minerals processing residues. A site selection process has been undertaken and environmental impact statement report prepared and approved. A licence application has been submitted to the national nuclear regulatory authority, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) for siting, construction and operation of the facility. In order to assist the CEO of ARPANSA with his deliberations in this regard a request was made to the IAEA, in terms of its statutory mandate to establish international safety standards for radioactive waste safety and to provide for their application, to undertake an international peer review of the licence application and to advise the CEO accordingly. The outcome and recommendations of this peer review are presented in the report

First Isochronous Time-of-Flight Mass Measurements of Short-Lived Projectile Fragments in the ESR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stadlmann, J.; Geissel, H.; Hausmann, M.; Nolden, F.; Radon, T.; Schatz, H.; Scheidenberger, C.; Attallah, F.; Beckert, K.; Bosch, F.; Falch, M.; Franczak, B.; Franzke, B.; Kerscher, Th.; Klepper, O.; Kluge, H.J.; Kozhuharov, C.; Loebner, K.E.G.; Muenzenberg, G.; Novikov, Yu.N.; Steck, M.; Sun, Z.; Suemmerer, K.; Weick, H.; Wollnik, H.

2000-01-01

A new method for precise mass measurements of short-lived hot nuclei is presented. These nuclei were produced via projectile fragmentation, separated with the FRS and injected into the storage ring ESR being operated in the isochronous mode. The revolution time of the ions is measured with a time-of-flight detector sensitive to single particles. This new method allows access to exotic nuclei with half-lives in the microsecond region. First results from this novel method obtained with measurements on neutron-deficient fragments of a chromium primary beam with half-lives down to 50 ms are reported. A precision of deltam/m ≤ 5 · 10 -6 has been achieved

National Inventory of radioactive materials and wastes. The 2015 essentials. Synthesis report for 2015. 2015 descriptive catalogue of families. 2015 geographical inventory. The focus on 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-03-01

This huge publication gathers several reports. He first one (The essentials) presents the stakes and principles of the management of radioactive materials and wastes, the inventory of stocks of radioactive wastes at the end of 2013 and the inventory of stocks of radioactive materials at the same date, discusses projected quantities of radioactive materials and wastes on the basis of industrial scenarios, and proposes prospective inventories. The second one is a synthesis report which addresses radioactive materials and wastes and their management (origins, classification, peculiar cases, general management principles), the general results (for radioactive materials, for radioactive wastes, perspective beyond 2030, warehousing and storages of radioactive materials and wastes), detailed results for different sectors (electronuclear, research, defence, non electronuclear industry, medicine), historical situations (storage centres for conventional wastes, historic on-site storages, storages of high natural radioactivity wastes, mining sites, sites contaminated by radioactivity, submerged wastes). It also proposes 6 thematic files: existing and projected solutions in France for the management of the different types of radioactive wastes on the long term, objectives and techniques of waste processing and packaging, dismantling of nuclear installations and decontamination of sites polluted by radioactivity, management of used radioactive sources, the case of high natural radioactivity wastes, foreign inventory of radioactive wastes. The next report addresses issues of waste classification (origin, management, family sheet of radioactive wastes, presentation of the different families (shapes, packaging, quantities, and so on): high-level, intermediate-level and long-lived, low and intermediate-level and short-lived, low-level and long-lived, very low-level, and others. Appendices notably indicate locations. The next report, after a recall on classification, origin and

A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR DISPOSITION OF LONG-LIVED RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eriksson, Leif G.; Dials, George E.; Parker, Frank L.

2003-02-27

During the past 45 years, one of the most challenging scientific, engineering, socio-economic, and political tasks and obligations of our time has been to site and develop technical, politically acceptable, solutions to the safe disposition of long-lived radioactive materials (LLRMs). However, at the end of the year 2002, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in the United States of America (USA) hosts the world's only operating LLRM-disposal system, which (1) is based on the LLRM-disposal principles recommended by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1957, i.e., deep geological disposal in a ''stable'' salt vault/repository, (2) complies with the nation's ''Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes'', and (3) may receive 175,584 cubic meters (m3) of transuranic radioactive waste (TRUW)a. Pending the scheduled opening of repositories for once-used nuclear fuel (OUNF) in the USA, Sweden, and Finland in the years 2010, 2015, and 2017, respectively, LLRM-disposal solutions remain the missing link in all national LLRM-disposition programs. Furthermore, for a variety of reasons, many nations with nuclear programs have chosen a ''spectator'' stance in terms of enhancing the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, and have either ''slow-tracked'' or deferred their LLRM-disposal programs to allow time for an informed national consensus to evolve based on LLRM-disposition experiences and solutions gained elsewhere. In the meantime, LLRMs will continue to amass in different types and levels of safeguarded storage facilities around the world. In an attempt to contribute to the enhancement of the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, the authors developed the sample holistic approach for synergistic disposition of LLRMs comprising LLRM

A high-intensity He-jet production source for radioactive beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, D.J.; Kimberly, H.J.; Grisham, D.L.; Talbert, W.L.; Wouters, J.M.; Rosenauer, D.; Bai, Y.

1993-01-01

The use of a thin-target, He-jet transport system operating with high primary beam intensities is explored as a high-intensity production source for radioactive beams. This method is expected to work well for short-lived, non-volatile species. As such the thin-target, He-jet approach represents a natural complement to the thick-target ISOL method in which such species are not, in general, rapidly released. Highlighted here is a thin-target, He-jet system that is being prepared for a 500 + μA, 800-MeV proton demonstration experiment at LAMPF this summer

Radioactive Waste Management - Community Policy and Research Initiatives. The sixth international conference on the management and disposal of radioactive waste - Euradwaste '04

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forsstroem, Hans [Research Directorate Energy, Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection, European Commission, MO-75 5/37, 200 avenue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels (Belgium); Ruiz, P. Fernandez (ed.) [DG Research, Energy, Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, CSN, C/ Justo Dorado, 11, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)

2004-07-01

The sixth international conference on the management and disposal of radioactive waste organized be European Commission, held on 29-31 March 2004 in Luxembourg aimed to cover the following objectives: - To present EC policy in waste management, in particular the proposed 'Directive on the Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste' and to discuss relating issues such as the effect on national programmes, site selection, EU added value, the case for EU safety standards, and various socio-political aspects; - To highlight the main results of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) of EURATOM for 'Nuclear Energy, Fission Research and Training Activities' in the field of waste in spent fuel management and disposal, and partitioning and transmutation; - To present examples of activities under FP5 and to discuss further research European integration through FP6. The program was divided into two main groups: 1. 'Community Policy and Socio-Political Aspects' which included sessions on community policy initiatives, disposal option, common safety standards and public involvement and acceptance; 2. 'Community Research Activities - FP5' which included sessions on partitioning and transmutation, geological disposal and research networking. There were 29 oral presentations and 36 poster presentations which, for the latter, allowed detailed presentations of the results of the EU-funded research projects. The conference was attended by some 240 participants from 27 countries.

Limitations of Poisson statistics in describing radioactive decay.

Science.gov (United States)

Sitek, Arkadiusz; Celler, Anna M

2015-12-01

The assumption that nuclear decays are governed by Poisson statistics is an approximation. This approximation becomes unjustified when data acquisition times longer than or even comparable with the half-lives of the radioisotope in the sample are considered. In this work, the limits of the Poisson-statistics approximation are investigated. The formalism for the statistics of radioactive decay based on binomial distribution is derived. The theoretical factor describing the deviation of variance of the number of decays predicated by the Poisson distribution from the true variance is defined and investigated for several commonly used radiotracers such as (18)F, (15)O, (82)Rb, (13)N, (99m)Tc, (123)I, and (201)Tl. The variance of the number of decays estimated using the Poisson distribution is significantly different than the true variance for a 5-minute observation time of (11)C, (15)O, (13)N, and (82)Rb. Durations of nuclear medicine studies often are relatively long; they may be even a few times longer than the half-lives of some short-lived radiotracers. Our study shows that in such situations the Poisson statistics is unsuitable and should not be applied to describe the statistics of the number of decays in radioactive samples. However, the above statement does not directly apply to counting statistics at the level of event detection. Low sensitivities of detectors which are used in imaging studies make the Poisson approximation near perfect. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparing isomerically pure beams of short-lived nuclei at JYFLTRAP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eronen, T. [Department of Physics, University of Jyvaeskylae, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FIN-40014 (Finland)], E-mail: tommi.eronen@jyu.fi; Elomaa, V.-V.; Hager, U.; Hakala, J.; Jokinen, A.; Kankainen, A.; Rahaman, S.; Rissanen, J.; Weber, C.; Aystoe, J. [Department of Physics, University of Jyvaeskylae, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FIN-40014 (Finland)

2008-10-15

A new procedure to prepare isomerically clean samples of short-lived ions with a mass resolving power of more than 1 x 10{sup 5} has been developed at the JYFLTRAP tandem Penning trap system. The method utilises a dipolar rf-excitation of the ion motion with separated oscillatory fields in the precision trap. During a subsequent retransfer to the purification trap, the contaminants are rejected and as a consequence, the remaining bunch is isomerically cleaned. This newly-developed method is suitable for very high-resolution cleaning and is at least a factor of five faster than the methods used so far in Penning trap mass spectrometry.

Tenants at-risk-of-poverty induced by housing expenditure – exploratory analyses with EU-SILC

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haffner, M.E.A.; Dol, C.P.; Heylen, K.

2014-01-01

Combating poverty and social exclusion is a core policy issue in the European Union (EU). The Statis-tics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) database facilitates analyses of the extent of poverty and social exclusion. One of the indicators built from the database is the at-risk-of-poverty

Market Analysis and Risk Management of EU Emissions Trading - MARMET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ollikainen, M.; Aatola, P.; Ollikka, K.; Kumpulainen, A.; Pohjola, T.; Lappalainen, E.

2007-01-01

The first period of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) commenced on January 1st 2005. It implies new challenges to companies included in the scheme. A central challenge is the uncertainty related to the markets. In order to manage their risks and profitability companies need to be able to estimate future price developments of emission allowances. The University of Helsinki is conducting a research project in cooperation with the Helsinki University of Technology that will provide necessary information for analyzing European Union emission allowance (EUA) markets and create risk management competence. The objectives of the research project are (1) to develop a price estimation model for EU emission allowances and (2) to develop risk management competence related to EU ETS. With the price estimation model the short-term price developments of EUAs can be estimated. By utilizing the model companies can reduce uncertainties related to the markets. The project also delivers a general risk management model for EU ETS that aims at improving competitiveness of companies. (orig.)

Large drainages from short-lived glacial lakes in the Teskey Range, Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Narama, Chiyuki; Daiyrov, Mirlan; Duishonakunov, Murataly; Tadono, Takeo; Sato, Hayato; Kääb, Andreas; Ukita, Jinro; Abdrakhmatov, Kanatbek

2018-04-01

Four large drainages from glacial lakes occurred during 2006-2014 in the western Teskey Range, Kyrgyzstan. These floods caused extensive damage, killing people and livestock as well as destroying property and crops. Using satellite data analysis and field surveys of this area, we find that the water volume that drained at Kashkasuu glacial lake in 2006 was 194 000 m3, at western Zyndan lake in 2008 was 437 000 m3, at Jeruy lake in 2013 was 182 000 m3, and at Karateke lake in 2014 was 123 000 m3. Due to their subsurface outlet, we refer to these short-lived glacial lakes as the tunnel-type, a type that drastically grows and drains over a few months. From spring to early summer, these lakes either appear, or in some cases, significantly expand from an existing lake (but non-stationary), and then drain during summer. Our field surveys show that the short-lived lakes form when an ice tunnel through a debris landform gets blocked. The blocking is caused either by the freezing of stored water inside the tunnel during winter or by the collapse of ice and debris around the ice tunnel. The draining then occurs through an opened ice tunnel during summer. The growth-drain cycle can repeat when the ice-tunnel closure behaves like that of typical supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers. We argue here that the geomorphological characteristics under which such short-lived glacial lakes appear are (i) a debris landform containing ice (ice-cored moraine complex), (ii) a depression with water supply on a debris landform as a potential lake basin, and (iii) no visible surface outflow channel from the depression, indicating the existence of an ice tunnel. Applying these characteristics, we examine 60 depressions (> 0.01 km2) in the study region and identify here 53 of them that may become short-lived glacial lakes, with 34 of these having a potential drainage exceeding 10 m3 s-1 at peak discharge.

Planning to cheat: EU fiscal policy in real time

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beetsma, R.; Giuliodori, M.; Wierts, P.

2009-01-01

Using real-time data from Europe's Stability and Convergence Programs, we explore how fiscal plans and their implementation in the EU are determined. We find that (1) implemented budgetary adjustment falls systematically short of planned adjustment and this shortfall increases with the projection

Hindered El Transitions in Eu155 and Tb161

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malmskog, Sven G.

1965-02-01

The absolute E1 transition probabilities from the 3/2 + (411), 5/2 - (532) and 7/2 - (523) single particle levels in Eu 155 and Tb 161 have been measured by the method of delayed coincidences. This gave half lives of T 1/2 1/2 = (1.38 ± 0.06) ns for the 104.4 and 246 keV levels in Eu 155 . T 1/2 = (0.84 ± 0.04) ns and T 1/2 161 . The result has been compared with the calculations of a single particle in a deformed potential made by Nilsson

Nuclear and x-ray spectroscopy with radioactive sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, R.W.

1977-01-01

Research in nuclear chemistry for 1977 is reviewed. The greatest part of the effort was directed to nuclear spectroscopy (systematics, models, experimental studies), but some work was also done involving fast neutrons and x rays from radioactive sources. Isotopes of Tl, Hg, Au, and Eu were studied in particular. Personnel and publications lists are also included. 5 figures, 1 table

Radioactive wastes. Their industrial management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavie, J.M.

1982-01-01

This paper introduces a series that will review the present situation in the field of long-term management of radioactive wastes. Both the meaning and the purposes of an industrial management of radioactive wastes are specified. This short introduction is complemented by outline of data on the French problem [fr

Conceptual design and cost inputs associated with co-disposal of the spent fuel and long lived radioactive wastes in the deep geologic disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fako, R.; Sociu, F.; Nicolae, R.; Barariu, G

2013-01-01

The paper aims to be an integrated approach for the containment and isolation of spent fuel and / or long lived radioactive wastes in a Deep Geologic Repository in Romania. Several scenarios could be defined for the management of spent fuel and long lived radioactive waste in Romania considering many specific constraints in Romania (political, geological, economic, demographic, etc.). This paper intends to be an upgrade of several Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) works performed by SITON specialists on this subject, taking into account also the conclusions of the Workshop ôCost estimation on spent nuclear fuel disposal in Romaniaö organized by IAEA in cooperation with ANDR at the beginning of this year in Romania.This paper is, also, addressed to decision makers with target on to adopt the best strategy for construction of Deep Geologic Repository in Romania. (authors)

Radioactive Materials in Medical Institutions as a Potential Threat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radalj, Z.

2007-01-01

In numerous health institutions ionizing sources are used in everyday practice. Most of these sources are Roentgen machines and accelerators which produce radiation only when in use. However, there are many institutions, e.g., Nuclear medicine units, where radioactive materials are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This institutions store a significant amount of radioactive materials in form of open and closed sources of radiation. Overall activity of open radiation sources can reach over a few hundred GBq. Open sources of radiation are usually so called short-living isotopes. Since they are used on daily basis, a need for a continuous supply of the radioactive materials exists (on weekly basis). Transportation phase is probably the most sensitive phase because of possible accidents or sabotage. Radiological terrorism is a new term. Legislation in the area of radiological safety is considered complete and well defined, and based on the present regulatory mechanism, work safety with radiation sources is considered relatively high. However, from time to time smaller accidents do happen due to mishandling, loose of material (possible stealing), etc. Lately, the safety issue of ionizing sources is becoming more important. In this matter we can expect activities in two directions, one which is going towards stealing and 'smuggling' of radioactive materials, and the other which would work or provoke accidents at the location where the radiation sources are.(author)

The EU agencies’ role in policy diffusion beyond the EU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chatzopoulou, Sevasti

and health quality within the risk assessment. This paper shows that the EU agencies develop various entrepreneurial methods and that they actively promote policy diffusion beyond the EU through socialisation and learning within international arrangements and collaborations. However, variations......The extensive literature on the EU agencies has mainly focused on their role in the harmonisation and expansion of regulatory standards within the EU. This paper joins this literature and investigates the role of EU agencies in policy diffusion beyond the EU borders. To operationalise this...

Radioactive Waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaylock, B. G.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of radioactive waste disposal, covering publications of 1976-77. Some of the studies included are: (1) high-level and long-lived wastes, and (2) release and burial of low-level wastes. A list of 42 references is also presented. (HM)

Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with sodium lauryl sulfate as a sorbent for 152+154Eu from aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoud, M.R.; Someda, H.H.

2012-01-01

In the present study, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with nitrate anions (LDH-NO 3 ) was synthesized, modified with the anionic surfactant, sodium lauryl sulfate, and applied for the removal of 152+154 Eu from aqueous solutions. Modification of the as-synthesized Mg-Al layered double hydroxide was carried out at surfactant concentration of 0.01 M (the organo-LDH produced denoted LDH-NaLS). The as-synthesized and surfactant-intercalated LDHs were characterized by FT-IR and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The effect of some variables such as solution pH, contact time and sorbate concentration on removal of 152+154 Eu was investigated. The kinetic data obtained were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model rather than the pseudo-first-order model. Intraparticle diffusion model showed that sorption of 152+154 Eu proceed by intraparticle diffusion together with boundary layer diffusion. Experimental isotherm data were well described by Langmuir model. Organo-LDH was found to have higher capacity (156.45 mg g -1 ) for europium than the as-synthesized LDH-NO 3 (119.56 mg g -1 ). Comparing LDHs capacities obtained for Eu(III) in the present work with other sorbents reported in literature indicated that LDHs have the highest capacities. Application of the developed process for removal of 152+154 Eu(III) from radioactive process wastewaters was also studied and the obtained results revealed that these LDHs are promising materials for treatment of radioactive wastewaters. (author)

Are crab-type supernova remnants (plerions) short-lived

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiler, K.W.; Panagia, N.

1978-01-01

Arguments are given for a possible picture of the origin, maintenance, and lifetimes of the so-called Crab-like supernova remnants. It is suggested that these objects imply the existence of at least two distinct types of supernova events. A possible connection of the remnant types with the optically defined supernovae of Type I and Type II is discussed. Accepting that a pulsar is formed in at least some supernova events, the proposal is made that a rapidly rotating, rapidly slowing pulsar is necessary to create and maintain a Crab-like supernova remnant. Finally, arguments are presented that such a supernova remnant will be relatively short lived with respect to the more common shell-type of supernova remnant, perhaps surviving only 10000-20000 yr before fading into the Galactic background. The name of plerion is proposed for these filled-center supernova remnants and observational possiblities for confirming their nature are suggested. (orig.) [de

Atmospheric natural radioactivity outdoors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renoux, A.

1985-01-01

Following a short account of natural atmospheric radioactivity, radon concentrations are given as well as their variations with time obtained by means of a original apparatus developped in Brest. The radioactive equilibrium of radon and its daughters is then considered, many experiments demonstrating that equilibrium is seldom reached even for 218 Po (RaA). Finally, some characteristics of natural radioactive aerosols are studied: charge, particle size distribution (demonstrating they are fine aerosols since only 30 per cent are made of particles with radii exceeding 0,1 μm) [fr

Considerations of temperature in the context of the persistence classification in the EU.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthies, Michael; Beulke, Sabine

2017-01-01

Simulation degradation studies for industrial chemicals, biocidal products and plant protection products are required in the EU to estimate half-lives in soil, water and sediment for the comparison to persistence criteria for hazard (P/vP) assessment, and for use in exposure assessments. There is a discrepancy between European regulatory approaches regarding the temperature at which degradation half-lives should be (1) measured in simulation degradation testing of environmental compartments, and (2) compared to the P/vP criteria. In this paper, an opinion is provided on the options for the experimental temperature and extrapolation to other conditions. A review of the historical development of persistence criteria did not give conclusive evidence of the temperature at which the half-lives that underpin the P-criteria were measured, but room temperature is likely. Half-lives measured at 20 °C are in line with the intentions of some international agreements, but in the EU there is a continued political debate regarding the relevant temperature for comparison with persistence criteria. Measuring degradation at 20 °C has the advantage that metabolites/transformation products can be identified with greater accuracy, and that kinetic fits to determine half-lives for parent compounds and metabolites carry less uncertainty. Extrapolation of half-lives to lower temperatures is possible for assessing environmental exposure, but the uncertainty of the persistence classification is smaller when measured half-lives are used for direct comparison with P/vP criteria, without extrapolation. Model simulations demonstrate the pattern of concentrations that can be expected for realistic worst case climate scenarios in the EU based on the half-life of 120 days in soil at 20 °C and of 40 days in water at 20 °C, and their temporal and spatial variability.

Optical spectroscopy and optical waveguide fabrication in Eu3+ and Eu3+/Tb3+ doped zinc–sodium–aluminosilicate glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldiño, U.; Speghini, A.; Berneschi, S.; Bettinelli, M.; Brenci, M.; Pasquini, E.; Pelli, S.; Righini, G.C.

2014-01-01

Optical and spectroscopic properties of 2.0% Eu(PO 3 ) 3 singly doped and 5.0% Tb(PO 3 ) 3 –2.0% Eu(PO 3 ) 3 codoped zinc–sodium–aluminosilicate glasses were investigated. Reddish-orange light emission, with x=0.64 and y=0.36 CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, is obtained in the europium singly doped glass excited at 393 nm. Such chromaticity coordinates are close to those (0.67,0.33) standard of the National Television System Committee for the red phosphor. When the sodium–zinc–aluminosilicate glass is co-doped with Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ , reddish-orange light emission, with (0.61,0.37) CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, is obtained upon Tb 3+ excitation at 344 nm. This reddish-orange luminescence is generated mainly by 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 and 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 emissions of Eu 3+ , europium being sensitized by terbium through a non-radiative energy transfer. From an analysis of the Tb 3+ emission decay curves it is inferred that the Tb 3+ →Eu 3+ energy transfer might take place between Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ clusters through a short-range interaction mechanism, so that an electric dipole–quadrupole interaction appears to be the most probable transfer mechanism. The efficiency of this energy transfer is about 62% upon excitation at 344 nm. In the singly doped and codoped glasses multimode optical waveguides were successfully produced by Ag + –Na + ion exchange, and they could be characterized at various wavelengths. -- Highlights: • Reddish-orange light emission can be generated from Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ codoped zinc–sodium–aluminosilicate glasses excited at 344 nm. • The Eu 3+ is sensitized by Tb 3+ through a non-radiative energy transfer. • Highly multimode waveguides can be fabricated by diluted silver–sodium exchange. • This type of AlGaN LEDs pumped glass phosphors might be useful for generation of reddish-orange light

The future of the accelerator mass spectrometry of rare long-lived radioactive isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litherland, A.E.

1990-01-01

Accelerators, originally designed for nuclear physics, can be added to mass spectrometric apparatus to increase the sensitivity so that isotope ratios in the range 10 -12 to 10 -15 can be measured routinely. This significant improvement of high-sensitivity mass spectrometry has been called Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. The present article addresses the basic principles of accelerator mass spectrometry and some recent applications which show its versatility. In particular, it is noted that accelerator mass spectrometry could play an increasing role in the measurement of the levels of long lived radioactivities in the environment, including the actinides, which result from human activities such as the use of nuclear power. To fulfill this promise, continued research and development is necessary to provide ion sources, various types of heavy ion accelerators and peripheral magnetic and electric analysers. (N.K.)

A comparison of radioactive waste from first generation fusion reactors and fast fission reactors with actinide recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, M.; Kazimi, M.S.

1991-04-01

Limitations of the fission fuel resources will presumably mandate the replacement of thermal fission reactors by fast fission reactors that operate on a self-sufficient closed fuel cycle. This replacement might take place within the next one hundred years, so the direct competitors of fusion reactors will be fission reactors of the latter rather than the former type. Also, fast fission reactors, in contrast to thermal fission reactors, have the potential for transmuting long-lived actinides into short-lived fission products. The associated reduction of the long-term activation of radioactive waste due to actinides makes the comparison of radioactive waste from fast fission reactors to that from fusion reactors more rewarding than the comparison of radioactive waste from thermal fission reactors to that from fusion reactors. Radioactive waste from an experimental and a commercial fast fission reactor and an experimental and a commercial fusion reactor has been characterized. The fast fission reactors chosen for this study were the Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 and the Integral Fast Reactor. The fusion reactors chosen for this study were the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and a Reduced Activation Ferrite Helium Tokamak. The comparison of radioactive waste parameters shows that radioactive waste from the experimental fast fission reactor may be less hazardous than that from the experimental fusion reactor. Inclusion of the actinides would reverse this conclusion only in the long-term. Radioactive waste from the commercial fusion reactor may always be less hazardous than that from the commercial fast fission reactor, irrespective of the inclusion or exclusion of the actinides. The fusion waste would even be far less hazardous, if advanced structural materials, like silicon carbide or vanadium alloy, were employed

A comparison of radioactive waste from first generation fusion reactors and fast fission reactors with actinide recycling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koch, M.; Kazimi, M.S.

1991-04-01

Limitations of the fission fuel resources will presumably mandate the replacement of thermal fission reactors by fast fission reactors that operate on a self-sufficient closed fuel cycle. This replacement might take place within the next one hundred years, so the direct competitors of fusion reactors will be fission reactors of the latter rather than the former type. Also, fast fission reactors, in contrast to thermal fission reactors, have the potential for transmuting long-lived actinides into short-lived fission products. The associated reduction of the long-term activation of radioactive waste due to actinides makes the comparison of radioactive waste from fast fission reactors to that from fusion reactors more rewarding than the comparison of radioactive waste from thermal fission reactors to that from fusion reactors. Radioactive waste from an experimental and a commercial fast fission reactor and an experimental and a commercial fusion reactor has been characterized. The fast fission reactors chosen for this study were the Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 and the Integral Fast Reactor. The fusion reactors chosen for this study were the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and a Reduced Activation Ferrite Helium Tokamak. The comparison of radioactive waste parameters shows that radioactive waste from the experimental fast fission reactor may be less hazardous than that from the experimental fusion reactor. Inclusion of the actinides would reverse this conclusion only in the long-term. Radioactive waste from the commercial fusion reactor may always be less hazardous than that from the commercial fast fission reactor, irrespective of the inclusion or exclusion of the actinides. The fusion waste would even be far less hazardous, if advanced structural materials, like silicon carbide or vanadium alloy, were employed.

Concerted action on the retrievability of long lived radioactive waste in deep underground repositories - progress to date

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodd, D.H.

2000-01-01

Within the EURATOM Framework Programme: Nuclear Fission Safety, a Concerted Action on the retrievability of long lived radioactive waste in deep underground repositories is being carried out. This Concerted Action commenced on the 1st of January 1998 and involves experts from nine different European countries. The Concerted Action will be completed by the 31st of December 1999. This paper gives a brief overview of the objectives of the Concerted Action, the work programme that has been defined to meet these objectives, the work performed to date, and the remaining work programme. (author)

Occupational and Public Exposure During Normal Operation of Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. V. Vedernikova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on occupational and public exposure during operation of disposal facilities receiving liquid and solid radioactive waste of various classes and provides a comparative analysis of the relevant doses: actual and calculated at the design stage. Occupational and public exposure study presented in this paper covers normal operations of a radioactive waste disposal facility receiving waste. Results: Analysis of individual and collective occupational doses was performed based on data collected during operation of near-surface disposal facilities for short-lived intermediate-, lowand very low-level waste in France, as well as nearsurface disposal facilities for long-lived waste in Russia. Further analysis of occupational and public doses calculated at the design stage was completed covering a near-surface disposal facility in Belgium and deep disposal facilities in the United Kingdom and the Nizhne-Kansk rock massive (Russia. The results show that engineering and technical solutions enable almost complete elimination of internal occupational exposure, whereas external exposure doses would fall within the range of values typical for a basic nuclear facility. Conclusion: radioactive waste disposal facilities being developed, constructed and operated meet the safety requirements effective in the Russian Federation and consistent with relevant international recommendations. It has been found that individual occupational exposure doses commensurate with those received by personnel of similar facilities abroad. Furthermore, according to the forecasts, mean individual doses for personnel during radioactive waste disposal would be an order of magnitude lower than the dose limit of 20 mSv/year. As for the public exposure, during normal operation, potential impact is virtually impossible by delaminating boundaries of a nuclear facility sanitary protection zone inside which the disposal facility is located and can be solely attributed to the use

Fifth Situation Report - Radioactive Waste Management in the Enlarged European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webster, S.

2003-02-01

The present report is the fifth in the series of reports on radioactive waste management in the European Union (EU). It presents, in the form of tables, the status in current EU Member States and in Candidate Countries of Central and Eastern Europe at the end of the year 2000. The fourth situation report was published in January 1999 and contained an in-depth evaluation of the situation and prospects for radioactive waste management in the Community, including such topics as waste generation, financing, transport, research and social issues. The report contains a comprehensive set of tables of waste generation, storage, disposal and predicted trends in the various waste categories, based on the status at the end of 1994. In comparison, the present report is an interim re-evaluation only and concentrates on waste quantities at the end of the year 2000, though it also presents a summary of national strategies and other pertinent information. (author)

Transport and deposition of nano-particles. Application to the free action of short-lived radon daughters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malet, J.

1997-01-01

Short-lived radon daughters ( 218 Po, 214 Pb, 214 Bi, and 214 Po) are important contributors to the natural average annual individual dose. The models describing the evolution of these aerosol in a house depend critically on a parameter, the 218 Po deposition velocity, which, although aerosol deposition has been extensively studied, is poorly known. A numerical and experimental study is thus carried out for a simple case: deposition in a cylindrical tube under laminar flow condition. The numerical results help understanding the difference between the transport and deposition of these radionuclides and those of non radioactive aerosols. Comparison of these well environment does not give satisfactory correlation, requiring the study of phenomena that may affect deposition. The first of these is the possible variation in the e 218 Po diffusion coefficient. Furthermore, experiments coupled with numerical calculations show that this variation could be due to 218 Po neutralization. The second phenomenon concerns the effect of the surface type, which is also shown experimentally. By modelling the neutralization and using results with a piratically smooth surface, good numerical/experimental correlations are obtained. Understanding this simple case than makes possible studying a more complex case: deposition in controlled turbulent flow. Two theories are thus experimentally validated. In addition, a 218 Po deposition velocity representative of our experimental conditions is determined. Finally, we report a feasibility study of radon daughters transport and deposition in a ventilated chamber taking into account all the involved phenomena. (author)

Menneskerettigheder og handelspolitik i EU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manners, Ian

2012-01-01

to food, the right heat, the right to have a job"; we still live with this division today. There have been a number of attempts over the last 10-15 years, who have tried to work around these problems. One of them is a movement within the UN are trying to reinterpret what it means to have 'development...... point for reaction against the liberalization of the global economy. It is extremely interesting. Again this demonstrates the complexity of EU policy. Some Member States were quite supportive of the WTO, while others expected the ILO to take the lead. See, for example, the declaration on "Core Labour...... is this contradiction "free and fair trade" in the same sentence becomes, in an attempt both economically and politically to get it to make sense within the EU. Ian Manners is a professor and works at Roskilde University, the Institute for society and globalization. His research is globalization and Europeanisation...

Log live high activity radioactive wastes / Researches and results law of the 30 December 1991. Separation and transmutation of long lived radionuclides; Les dechets radioactifs a haute activite et a vie longue / recherches et resultats Loi du 30 decembre 1991. Separation et transmutation des radionucleides a vie longue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-12-15

The law of the 30 December 1991 on the high activity long lived radioactive wastes reached the end. This synthesis final document presents the scientific and technological results, obtained still the end of 2005, on the separation and the transmutation of long lived radionuclides of high activity long lived radioactive wastes. It is organized in five chapters: a presentation of the context and the historical aspects, the researches, the objectives and the strategy of the axis 1, the researches results on the advanced separation, the researches results on the transmutation, the scenario of separation-transmutation and their environmental, technical and economical impacts. (A.L.B.)

Development of very low-level radioactive waste sequestration process criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chan, N.; Wong, P., E-mail: nicholas.chan@cnl.ca [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada)

2015-12-15

Segregating radioactive waste at the source and reclassifying radioactive waste to lower waste classes are the key activities to reduce the environmental footprint and long-term liability. In the Canadian Standards Association's radioactive waste classification system, there are 2 sub-classes within low-level radioactive waste: very short-lived radioactive waste and very low-level radioactive waste (VLLW). VLLW has a low hazard potential but is above the Canadian unconditional clearance criteria as set out in Schedule 2 of Nuclear Substances and Devices Regulations. Long-term waste management facilities for VLLW do not require a high degree of containment and isolation. In general, a relatively low-cost near-surface facility with limited regulatory control is suitable for VLLW. At Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' Chalk River Laboratories site an initiative, VLLW Sequestration, was implemented in 2013 to set aside potential VLLW for temporary storage and to be later dispositioned in the planned VLLW facility. As of May 2015, a total of 236m{sup 3} resulting in approximately $1.1 million in total savings have been sequestered. One of the main hurdles in implementing VLLW Sequestration is the development of process criteria. Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) are used as a guide or as requirements for determining whether waste is accepted by the waste management facility. Establishment of the process criteria ensures that segregated waste materials have a high likelihood to meet the VLLW WAC and be accepted into the planned VLLW facility. This paper outlines the challenges and various factors which were considered in the development of interim process criteria. (author)

Update on the national low level radioactive waste repository study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veitch, S.M.

1997-01-01

Activity to establish a national repository for low-level and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in Australia began in the early 1980's. From the early 1990's computer-based geographic information systems had developed sufficiently so that all of Australia could be quickly reviewed using digital data relevant to site selection criteria. A three-phased approach to site selection was commenced which included an iterative process of data collection, interpretation, and public involvement through discussion papers. All of Australia was reviewed using national-scale data, and eight broad regions were identified and reviewed using regional-scale data. A third phase report will be released shortly which includes details on the process for identifying the preferred region of the eight. This region will be the focus for public involvement and for detailed study to identify a site for the national repository

Developing role of short-lived radionuclides in nuclear medical practice. DOE symposium series; 56

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paras, P.; Thiessen, J.W.

1985-01-01

The purpose was to define the developing role and state-of-the-art development of short-lived radionuclides (SLR's) in current nuclear medical practice. Special emphasis was placed on radionuclides with general-purpose labeling capabilities. The need for high-purity labeling-grade iodine-123 was emphasized in the program. Papers have been separately abstracted for the data base

New reddish-orange and greenish-yellow light emitting phosphors: Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+}/Eu{sup 3+} in sodium germanate glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Álvarez, E. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), Boulevard Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora (Mexico); Zayas, Ma. E. [Departamento de Investigación en Física, Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), Boulevard Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora (Mexico); Alvarado-Rivera, J. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), Boulevard Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora (Mexico); Félix-Domínguez, F. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), Boulevard Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora (Mexico); Centro de investigación en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. Miguel de Cervantes 120, Complejo industrial Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31109, Chihuahua (Mexico); Duarte-Zamorano, R.P. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), Boulevard Luis Encinas y Rosales s/n, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora (Mexico); Caldiño, U., E-mail: cald@xanum.uam.mx [Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, PO Box 55-534, México City 09340, Distrito Federal (Mexico)

2014-09-15

A spectroscopic analysis of sodium germanate glasses activated with Eu{sup 3+}, Tb{sup 3+} and Eu{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+} is performed from their photoluminescence spectra and decay times. In the Eu{sup 3+}-singly doped glass reddish-orange light emission, with x=0.64 and y=0.35 CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, is obtained upon Eu{sup 3+} excitation at 393 nm. Such chromaticity coordinates are close to those (0.67, 0.33) proposed by the National Television Standard Committee for the red phosphor. When the sodium germanate glass is co-doped with Tb{sup 3+} and Eu{sup 3+} greenish-yellow light emission, with (0.41, 0.46) CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, is obtained upon Tb{sup 3+} excitation at 344 nm. Such greenish-yellow luminescence is due mainly to the terbium {sup 5}D{sub 4}→{sup 7}F{sub 6,5} and europium {sup 5}D{sub 0}→{sup 7}F{sub 1,2} emissions, Eu{sup 3+} being sensitized by Tb{sup 3+} through a non-radiative energy transfer. The non-radiative nature of this energy transfer is inferred from the increase in the decay rate of the Tb{sup 3+} emission when the glass is co-doped with Eu{sup 3+}. From an analysis of the Tb{sup 3+} emission decay time curves it is inferred that such energy transfer might take place between Tb{sup 3+} and Eu{sup 3+} clusters through a short-range interaction mechanism. - Highlights: • Sodium germanate glasses are optically activated with Eu{sup 3+} (GNE) and Tb{sup 3+}/Eu{sup 3+} (GNTE). • Reddish-orange light (0.64, 0.35) is generated by GNE pumped with 393 nm light. • Greenish-yellow light (0.41, 0.46) is generated by GNTE pumped with 344 nm light. • Non-radiative energy transfer Tb{sup 3+}→Eu{sup 3+} takes place in GNTE.

Management of radioactive wastes from nuclear fuels and power plants in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomlinson, M.; Mayman, S.A.; Tammemagi, H.Y.; Gale, J.; Sanford, B.

1977-05-01

The nature of Canadian nuclear fuel and nuclear generating plant radioactive wastes is summarized. Principles of a scheme for disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes deep underground in isolation from man and the biosphere are outlined. The status of the development and construction program is indicated. We have demonstrated incorporation of fission products in solids that in the short term (17 years) dissolve more slowly than plutonium decays. Investigations of long-term stability are in hand. Additional capacity for storage of used fuel prior to reprocessing and disposal is required by 1986 and a preliminary design has been prepared for a pool facility to be located at a central fuel recycling and disposal complex. A demonstration of dry storage of fuel in concrete containers is in progress. The quantities of CANDU generating-station wastes and the principles and methods for managing them are summarized. A radioactive-waste operations site is being developed with several different types of surface storage, each with multiple barriers against leakage. A reactor decommissioning study has been completed. Estimated costs of the various waste management operations are summarized. (author)

TRIUMF - The Swedish data base system for radioactive waste in SFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skogsberg, Marie; Andersson, Per-Anders

2006-01-01

All short lived LLW/ILW from the operation and maintenance of all Swedish Nuclear Power Plants are disposed in SFR, the Swedish final repository for radioactive operational waste. It is important to save all the information about radioactive waste that is needed now and in the future. To be secure that, we have developed a database system in Sweden called Triumf, consisting information about all the waste packages that are disposed in SFR. The waste producers register data concerning individual waste package during production. Before transport to SFR a data file with all information about the individual waste packages is transferred to Triumf. When transferred, the data are checked against accepted limitations before the waste can be loaded on the ship for transport to SFR. After disposal at SFR the deposition location in the repository is added to the database for each waste package. (author)

Technology transfer on long-term radioactive waste management - a feasible option for small nuclear programmes?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mele, I.; Mathieson, J.

2007-01-01

The EU project CATT - Co-operation and technology transfer on long-term radioactive waste management for Member States with small nuclear programmes investigated the feasibility of countries with small nuclear programmes implementing long-term radioactive waste management solutions within their national borders, through collaboration on technology transfer with those countries with advanced disposal concepts. The main project objective was to analyse the existing capabilities of technology owning Member States and the corresponding requirements of potential technology acquiring Member States and, based on the findings, to develop a number of possible collaboration models and scenarios that could be used in a technology transfer scheme. The project CATT was performed as a specific support action under the EU sixth framework programme and it brought together waste management organisations from six EU Member States: UK, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Slovenia and Sweden. In addition, the EC Joint Research Centre from the Netherlands also participated as a full partner. The paper summarises the analyses performed and the results obtained within the project. (author)

Magnetic moment of short lived {beta}-emitter {sup 24m}Al

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishimura, D., E-mail: daiki@vg.phys.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp; Komurasaki, J.; Matsuta, K.; Mihara, M.; Matsumiya, R. [Osaka University, Department of Physics (Japan); Momota, S. [Kochi University of Technology (Japan); Ohtsubo, T. [Niigata University, Department of Physics (Japan); Izumikawa, T. [Niigata University, RI Center (Japan); Hirano, H. [Niigata University, Department of Physics (Japan); Kitagawa, A.; Kanazawa, M.; Torikoshi, M.; Sato, S. [National Institute of Radiological Sciences (Japan); Fukuda, M.; Ishikawa, D. [Osaka University, Department of Physics (Japan); Minamisono, T. [Fukui University of Technology (Japan); Watanabe, R.; Kubo, T. [Niigata University, Department of Physics (Japan); Nojiri, Y. [Kochi University of Technology (Japan); Alonso, J. R. [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (United States)

2007-11-15

The magnetic moment of short lived {beta}-emitter {sup 24m}Al (426 keV, I{sup {pi}} = 1{sup +}, T{sub 1/2} = 131 ms) has been measured by means of {beta}-NMR technique, for the first time. From the {beta}-NMR spectrum, the magnetic moment was determined as |{mu}({sup 24m}Al)|=(2.99{+-}0.09){mu}{sub N}. Combined with the known magnetic moment of the mirror partner {sup 24m}Na, the expectation value of < S{sub z} > is obtained to be (0.08 {+-} 0.12). These values are reproduced well by the shell model calculation.

Decentralization and Living Conditions in the EU

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, M.S. de; Goymen, K.; Sazak, O.

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the effects of decentralization on living conditions in core cities in the European Union. It uses data from the Urban Audit to investigate whether the level of local expenditures relative to central government expenditures has an impact on the subjective appreciation of

Impact on the marine environment of radioactive releases resulting from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident. April 4, 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

After having outlined that measurements taken over several days in the sea water in the vicinity of the power station have revealed severe contamination of the marine environment by various radionuclides released as a result of the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station, this report describes the origins of the contamination of the marine environment (release of liquid effluents directly into the sea in the vicinity of the damaged reactors, atmospheric fallout onto the surface of the sea, conveyance of radioactive pollution by rainout of contaminated ground). Then, while proposing several maps, the authors analyse and comment the dispersion in the sea of radioactive pollutants by addressing the following issues: topography of the sea bed and sea currents off the Japanese coast, immediate or short term dispersion (a few days), mid-term dispersion (weeks and months), long term and large scale future of the radioactive pollutants. Finally, the report briefly discusses the impact of radioactive pollution on living species

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors that shape the life history of the short living scallop Argopecten ventricosus

OpenAIRE

Guerra, Citlali

2011-01-01

The scallop Argopecten ventricosus is characterized by its high swimming activity, fast growth, high reproductive effort and the early age to get first sexual maturity. These traits may be the result of the adaptation to a specific environment that favors an active lifestyle and a short lifespan (2 years). This opens the question of how environmental factors modulate the way a short living marine ectotherm budget energy investments among life history traits and how this modulation impacts the...

Long-lived radioactive waste and nuclear plant decommissioning a legacy to future generations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McAulay, I.R.

1996-01-01

Radioactive waste is an inevitable by-product of all uses of radioactive substances. This is the case of natural radioactivity as well as for artificially produced radioactive isotopes, and it is easy to overlook the significance of the waste problem in the case of technologically enhanced natural radioactivity. Several options are available for the disposal of radioactive waste and the paper considers these in detail from the point of view of the possible future impact of radiation doses to individuals or populations. Particular consideration is given to the use of deep disposal at stable geological sites as a means of dealing with large amounts of radioactive waste. It should not be forgotten that some of what we term waste today need not necessarily always be so. Indeed, there is a good case to make for the recycling of low activity materials rather than the uneconomic expedient of burying them. The paper will consider the possible recycling of valuable materials following suitable reprocessing and dilution and mention the dose implications of examples of such re-utilisation of radioactive materials

Long-lived radioactive waste and nuclear plant decommissioning a legacy to future generations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McAulay, I R [Trinity Coll., Dublin (Ireland). Physical Lab.

1996-10-01

Radioactive waste is an inevitable by-product of all uses of radioactive substances. This is the case of natural radioactivity as well as for artificially produced radioactive isotopes, and it is easy to overlook the significance of the waste problem in the case of technologically enhanced natural radioactivity. Several options are available for the disposal of radioactive waste and the paper considers these in detail from the point of view of the possible future impact of radiation doses to individuals or populations. Particular consideration is given to the use of deep disposal at stable geological sites as a means of dealing with large amounts of radioactive waste. It should not be forgotten that some of what we term waste today need not necessarily always be so. Indeed, there is a good case to make for the recycling of low activity materials rather than the uneconomic expedient of burying them. The paper will consider the possible recycling of valuable materials following suitable reprocessing and dilution and mention the dose implications of examples of such re-utilisation of radioactive materials.

Radioactive waste interim storage in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

The short summary on the radioactive waste interim storage in Germany covers the following issues: importance of interim storage in the frame of radioactive waste management, responsibilities and regulations, waste forms, storage containers, transport of vitrified high-level radioactive wastes from the reprocessing plants, central interim storage facilities (Gorleben, Ahaus, Nord/Lubmin), local interim storage facilities at nuclear power plant sites, federal state collecting facilities, safety, radiation exposure in Germany.

Storage of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

Even if the best waste minimization measures are undertaken throughout radioisotope production or usage, significant radioactive wastes arise to make management measures essential. For developing countries with low isotope usage and little or no generation of nuclear materials, it may be possible to handle the generated waste by simply practicing decay storage for several half-lives of the radionuclides involved, followed by discharge or disposal without further processing. For those countries with much larger facilities, longer lived isotopes are produced and used. In this situation, storage is used not only for decay storage but also for in-process retention steps and for the key stage of interim storage of conditioned wastes pending final disposal. The report will serve as a technical manual providing reference material and direct step-by-step know-how to staff in radioisotope user establishments and research centres in the developing Member States without nuclear power generation. Considerations are limited to the simpler storage facilities. The restricted quantities and low activity associated with the relevant wastes will generally permit contact-handling and avoid the need for shielding requirements in the storage facilities or equipment used for handling. A small quantity of wastes from some radioisotope production cells and from reactor cooling water treatment may contain sufficient short lived activity from activated corrosion products to require some separate decay storage before contact-handling is suitable. 16 refs, 12 figs, 8 tabs

Investigation of short-living fission products from the spontaneous fission of Cf-252

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klonk, H.

1976-01-01

In this paper, a method of separating and measuring fission products of Cf-252 is presented. The measurement was achieved by means of γ-spectrometry and thus provides a quantitative analysis with a good separation of the fission products with respect to both atomic number Z and mass number A. The separation of the fission products from the fission source was achieved by means of solid traps. An automatic changing apparatus made it possible to keep irradiation and measuring times short, so even very short-lived fission products could be registered. The quantitative evaluation of primary fission products was made possible by correction according to Bateman equations. With that, the yields of single nuclides and the dispersion of charge can be determined. (orig./WL) [de

Optically active centers in Eu implanted, Eu in situ doped GaN, and Eu doped GaN quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodiou, L.; Braud, A.; Doualan, J.-L.; Moncorge, R.; Park, J. H.; Munasinghe, C.; Steckl, A. J.; Lorenz, K.; Alves, E.; Daudin, B.

2009-01-01

A comparison is presented between Eu implanted and Eu in situ doped GaN thin films showing that two predominant Eu sites are optically active around 620 nm in both types of samples with below and above bandgap excitation. One of these sites, identified as a Ga substitutional site, is common to both types of Eu doped GaN samples despite the difference in the GaN film growth method and in the doping technique. High-resolution photoluminescence (PL) spectra under resonant excitation reveal that in all samples these two host-sensitized sites are in small amount compared to the majority of Eu ions which occupy isolated Ga substitutional sites and thus cannot be excited through the GaN host. The relative concentrations of the two predominant host-sensitized Eu sites are strongly affected by the annealing temperature for Eu implanted samples and by the group III element time opening in the molecular beam epitaxy growth. Red luminescence decay characteristics for the two Eu sites reveal different excitation paths. PL dynamics under above bandgap excitation indicate that Eu ions occupying a Ga substitutional site are either excited directly into the 5 D 0 level or into higher excited levels such as 5 D 1 , while Eu ions sitting in the other site are only directly excited into the 5 D 0 level. These differences are discussed in terms of the spectral overlap between the emission band of a nearby bound exciton and the absorption bands of Eu ions. The study of Eu doped GaN quantum dots reveals the existence of only one type of Eu site under above bandgap excitation, with Eu PL dynamics features similar to Eu ions in Ga substitutional sites

A Proposal for Assessing Study Quality: Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-Lived Chemicals (BEES-C) Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

The quality of exposure assessment is a major determinant of the overall quality of any environmental epidemiology study. The use of biomonitoring as a tool for assessing exposure to ubiquitous chemicals with short physiologic half-lives began relatively recently. These chemicals...

Evaluation and analysis of the residual radioactivity for the 15UD Pelletron accelerator facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonkawade, R. G.

2007-01-01

For the assessment of radiological impact of the accelerators, it will be better to have the documented information on activation of metal parts of the accelerator components. It is very much essential to get reliable data on these subjects. During acceleration of light ion, the residual radioactivity in the accelerator facility was found near the Analyzing Magnet, single slit, Beam Profile Monitors (BPM), Faraday Cups (FC), bellows, beginning of switching magnet bellows, at the target and the ladder. Study with HPGE detector gives an insight of the formation of the short or long lived radionuclides. The different targets used in the light ion experiment were also monitored and proper decommissioning and decontamination steps were followed. This paper presents the data of residual radioactivity in the 15UD Pelletron accelerator infrastructure. (author)

Transportforskning i EU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leleur, Steen

1996-01-01

Artiklen giver en gennemgang af aktuelle EU transportforskningsemner samt nogle synspunkter og erfaringer baseret på deltagelse i EU forskningsprojekter.......Artiklen giver en gennemgang af aktuelle EU transportforskningsemner samt nogle synspunkter og erfaringer baseret på deltagelse i EU forskningsprojekter....

Large drainages from short-lived glacial lakes in the Teskey Range, Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Narama

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Four large drainages from glacial lakes occurred during 2006–2014 in the western Teskey Range, Kyrgyzstan. These floods caused extensive damage, killing people and livestock as well as destroying property and crops. Using satellite data analysis and field surveys of this area, we find that the water volume that drained at Kashkasuu glacial lake in 2006 was 194 000  m3, at western Zyndan lake in 2008 was 437 000 m3, at Jeruy lake in 2013 was 182 000 m3, and at Karateke lake in 2014 was 123 000 m3. Due to their subsurface outlet, we refer to these short-lived glacial lakes as the tunnel-type, a type that drastically grows and drains over a few months. From spring to early summer, these lakes either appear, or in some cases, significantly expand from an existing lake (but non-stationary, and then drain during summer. Our field surveys show that the short-lived lakes form when an ice tunnel through a debris landform gets blocked. The blocking is caused either by the freezing of stored water inside the tunnel during winter or by the collapse of ice and debris around the ice tunnel. The draining then occurs through an opened ice tunnel during summer. The growth–drain cycle can repeat when the ice-tunnel closure behaves like that of typical supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers. We argue here that the geomorphological characteristics under which such short-lived glacial lakes appear are (i a debris landform containing ice (ice-cored moraine complex, (ii a depression with water supply on a debris landform as a potential lake basin, and (iii no visible surface outflow channel from the depression, indicating the existence of an ice tunnel. Applying these characteristics, we examine 60 depressions (> 0.01 km2 in the study region and identify here 53 of them that may become short-lived glacial lakes, with 34 of these having a potential drainage exceeding 10 m3 s−1 at peak discharge.

National system for radioactive waste management in Lithuania and its harmonization with the European Union legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adomaitis, J. E.; Poshkas, P.

1999-01-01

Radioactive waste management philosophies and technologies are still emerging, and there is therefore a need to reorganize and improve the national system for radioactive waste management in Lithuania. Lithuania's Law on Radioactive Waste Management and the new regulations will be harmonized with the European Union legislation in this field, with the IAEA general principles and with the obligations of the Republic of Lithuania under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Different organizational and financial schemes available in the EU countries for radioactive waste management are described and analyzed. The most important aspects needed to establish the Lithuania's Radioactive Waste Management Agency and Fund are defined and developed. (author)

A specific and correlative study of natural atmospheric radioactivity, condensation nuclei and some electrical parameters in marine or urban sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Gac, Jacqueline.

1980-02-01

In order to determine the correlations between the following atmospheric parameters: radon and condensation nuclei concentrations, total conductivity and space charge, we analysed their behavior over a long period, in connection with meteorological data. We simulaneously studied the equilibrium state between 222 Rn and its short-lived daughters pointing out a radioactive desequilibrium as a function of the meteorological conditions. Simultaneously, we established average experimental curves of cumulated particle size distributions of natural radioactivity in the air, differentiating urban and marine influences. Finally, a comparison between the various parameters showed that the total conductivity greatly depends on condensation nuclei and radon concentrations in the air [fr

Radioactivity of and exposure by the consumer's goods containing NORM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, M.; Ohhata, T.; Sato, S.; Ohyama, R.; Furuya, H.

2005-01-01

It is so important from the view of point of regulation to know the radioactive concentration or radioactivity in the consumer's goods containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and the radiation exposure when they are used in the daily living life. In this study, 20 consumer's goods containing NORM were collected. After chemically processing them, the radioactive concentrations in them were measured by an inductively coupled plasma attached with mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and a γ-ray spectrometer of Ge(li). In addition, the radiation exposures were calculated in four typical cases where the consumer' goods are generally used in the daily living life. (J.P.N.)

''Sleeping reactor'' irradiations: Shutdown reactor determination of short-lived activation products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jerde, E.A.; Glasgow, D.C.

1998-01-01

At the High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the principal irradiation system has a thermal neutron flux (φ) of ∼ 4 x 10 14 n/cm 2 · s, permitting the detection of elements via irradiation of 60 s or less. Irradiations of 6 or 7 s are acceptable for detection of elements with half-lives of as little as 30 min. However, important elements such as Al, Mg, Ti, and V have half-lives of only a few minutes. At HFIR, these can be determined with irradiation times of ∼ 6 s, but the requirement of immediate counting leads to increased exposure to the high activity produced by irradiation in the high flux. In addition, pneumatic system timing uncertainties (about ± 0.5 s) make irradiations of 9 Be(γ,n) 8 Be, the gamma rays principally originating in the spent fuel. Upon reactor SCRAM, the flux drops to ∼ 1 x 10 10 n/cm 2 · s within 1 h. By the time the fuel elements are removed, the flux has dropped to ∼ 6 x 10 8 . Such fluxes are ideal for the determination of short-lived elements such as Al, Ti, Mg, and V. An important feature of the sleeping reactor is a flux that is not constant

A contribution to the physical and chemical model of long-lived radioactive wastes by clayey materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorgeon, L.

1994-01-01

This work deals with the high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes confinement which come from the irradiated fuels reprocessing. These wastes are generally coated in a deep geological structure confinement matrix. The radiation protection of a such storage requires that the coating matrix, the technological barriers which separate the storage and the geological medium and the reception rock does not let the radioactive wastes pass. The materials used in this work for the confinement studies are clayey minerals and the retention mechanisms studies are realized on cesium 135, neptunium 237, americium 241 and uranium 233. The first part of this thesis concerns the clayey minerals retention properties towards ions in aqueous solutions. More particularly the relations between these properties and the chemical structure of these solids are investigated. In the second part are presented the experimental works which have allowed to specify the intrinsic characteristics of the studied minerals. Indeed the knowledge of these parameters is essential to quantitatively explain the results of the radionuclides retention. The adsorption mechanisms are described in a third part. (O.L.). 112 refs., 59 figs., 51 tabs

Behaviour of short-lived fission products within operating UO2 fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hastings, I.J.; Hunt, C.E.L.; Lipsett, J.J.

1983-01-01

We have carried out experiments using a ''sweep gas'' technique to determine the behaviour of short-lived fission products within operating, intact UO 2 fuel elements. The Zircaloy-4-clad elements were 500 mm long and contained fuel of density 10.65-10.71 Mg/m 3 . A He-2% H 2 carrier gas swept gaseous or volatile fission products out of the operating fuel element past a gamma spectrometer for measurement. In tests at linear powers of 45 and 60 kW/m to maximum burnups of 70 MW.h/kg U, the species measured directly at the spectrometer were generally the short-lived xenons and kryptons. We did not observe iodine or bromine during normal operation. However, we have deduced the behaviour of I-133 and I-135 from the decay of Xe-133 and Xe-135 during reactor shutdowns. Plots of R/B (released/born) against lambda (decay constant) or effective lambda for all isotopes observed at 45 and 60 kW/m show that a line of slope -0.5, corresponding with diffusion kinetics, is a good fit to the measured xenon and krypton data. Our inferred release of iodine fits the same line. From this we can extrapolate to an R/B for I-131 of about 5x10 -3 . The ANS 5.4 release correlation gives calculated results in good agreement with our measurements. (author)

Radioactive wastes: a proposal to its classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domenech N, H.; Garcia L, N.; Hernandez S, A.

1996-01-01

On the basis of the quantities and the characteristics of the stored radioactive wastes in Cuba and the IAEA system of wastes classification, the concentration activities that would be used as limits for those categories are evaluated. This approach suggests a limit of 10 TBq/m 3 for short lived liquid wastes of Low and Intermediate Level (less than 30 years) and 5 TBq/m 3 for long lived liquid wastes (more than 30 years). For solid wastes the suggested limits are ten times lower. Taking into account the small quantities of arising wastes and to make easy its segregation, collection and disposal, a low level waste sub-classification in three new categories, whether or not they may be direct discharged, is suggested. As lower classification limit, while not specific exemption levels are established in the country, the use of an ALI min fraction is emphasized, meanwhile the total discharged activity will be no greater than 10 MBq or 100 MBq when the discharge occurs over the whole year. (authors). 6 refs., 5 tabs

Non-fuel cycle radioactive waste policy in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izmir, A.I.; Uslu, I.

2001-01-01

Full text: Introduction. Radioactive wastes generated in Turkey are mostly low level radioactive waste generated from the operation of one research reactor, research centers and universities, hospitals, and from radiological application of various industries. It involves both short-lived and long lived radionuclides. In general, this includes radioactive materials, which are no longer useful and have their origin from practice or intervention both with unsealed and sealed sources. Radioactive Waste Management in Turkey. Utilisation of radioactive materials in Turkey requires special authorisations and falls under legal rules, in particular under the Radiation Safety Regulation of 24th March 2000 (Official Gazette number: 20983) outlining a general regulation for the protection of the population and workers against the danger of ionising radiation and subsequent amendments. There is also a requirement enforced by the Regulations for Radioactive Wastes Exempt from Regulatory Authority Control (published on 15 January 2000, Official Gazette number: 23934) that identifies the limits and other conditions for the discharges of radioactive substances to the environment. Radioactive waste is generally understood as material for which no further use is foreseen, and which has been managed in a system of reporting, authorisation and control as specified in International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations or national legislation. In this paper radioactive waste is considered in two categories: as originated from unsealed sources or from sealed sources. a) Management of Unsealed Sources. Unsealed radionuclides are utilised in human medicine for in vivo diagnosis, metabolic therapy and in vitro biological analysis. The most common types of radionuclides used in Turkey are C-14, Co-57, Cr-51, Fe-59, Ga-67, H-3, I-123, I-125, I-131, In-111, Mo-99, P-32, P-33, Re-186, S-35, Sr-89, Sr-90, Tc-99, Tl-201, Xe-133, Y-90 which are import of radiopharmaceuticals to Turkey in

Short-lived climate pollutant mitigation and the Sustainable Development Goals

Science.gov (United States)

Haines, Andy; Amann, Markus; Borgford-Parnell, Nathan; Leonard, Sunday; Kuylenstierna, Johan; Shindell, Drew

2017-12-01

The post-2015 development agenda is dominated by a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that arose from the 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The 17 goals and 169 targets address diverse and intersecting aspects of human and environmental needs and challenges. Achieving the SDGs by 2030 requires implementing coordinated and concerted strategies and actions that minimize potential trade-offs and conflicts and maximize synergies to contribute to multiple SDGs. Measures to mitigate emissions of short-lived climate pollutants are an example of actions that contribute to multiple outcomes relevant to development. This Perspective highlights the interlinkages between these pollutants and the SDGs, and shows that implementing emissions reduction measures can contribute to achieving many of the SDGs.

Mental Models of Radioactivity and Attitudes towards Radioactive Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeleznik, N.

2010-01-01

Siting of a radioactive waste repository presents a great problem in almost every country that produces such waste. The main problem is not a technical one, but socio-psychological, namely the acceptability of this kind of repository. Previous research on people's perception of the LILW repository construction, their attitudes towards radioactive waste, their willingness to accept it, indicated significant differences in answers of experts and lay persons, mainly regarding evaluation of the consequences of repository construction. Based on the findings of pilot investigations a mental model approach to the radioactivity, radioactive waste and repository was used as a method for development better risk communication strategies with local communities. The mental models were obtained by adjustment of the method developed by Morgan and co-workers where expert model of radioactivity is compared with mental model of lay people obtained through individual opened interviews. Additional information on trust, risk perception, role of main actors in the site selection process and their credibility was gained with the overall questionnaire on the representative sample of Slovenian population. Results of the survey confirm some already known findings, in addition we gained new cognitions and with analyses obtained the relationships and ratios between different factors, which are characteristics both for the general public and for the public, which is involved in the site selection process for a longer period and has been living beside a nuclear power plant for one generation. People have in general negative associations regarding the repository, the perceived risk for nuclear facilities is high, and trust in representatives of governmental institutions is low. Mental models of radioactivity, radioactive waste and the LILW repository are mostly irregular and differ from the experts' models. This is particularly valid for the models of radioactivity and the influences of

The Strategic Character of the Cooperation Relationship Between the EU and the BRIC Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iulia Monica Oehler-Şincai

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Brazil, the Russian Federation, India and China (coined under the acronym BRIC at the end of 2001 are alongside the United States of America (USA, Canada, Japan, Mexico and South Africa the strategic partners of the European Union (EU. Although the relationships between the EU and each of the four largest emerging economies in the world have a common backbone – the bilateral trade and investment flows – each one bears its own particularities. In this article, our purpose is to explore the strategic partnerships between the EU and the BRIC countries with emphasis on the economic pillar of the EU-BRIC cooperation framework. In our investigation, we will start with the analysis of the “BRIC mechanism”, continue with a short presentation of the particularities of the individual relationships between the EU and each BRIC country, and conclude with emphasising the EU role in the process of modernization of these economies.

DEMOGRAPHY OF ALPINE SHORT-LIVED PLANTS, LONGEVITY AND ONTOGENY STAGE DURATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. S. Kazantseva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim - to evaluate lifespan (full cycle and ontogeny stage durations of nine alpine short-lived North- West Caucasus plants.Methods. For calculation we used a new method which was developed and suggested earlier by us. This method is based on a discrete ontogeny description and on the probability theory and random processes. The data on the monitoring of the marked individuals were collected during six years.Results. We found out that the lifespan of Anthyllis vulneraria is 2.6±0.3 years (hereinafter “±” is Standard error, Draba hispida – 4.5±0.3, Murbeckiella huetii – 4.6±1.1, Carum meifolium – 7.8±1.4, Eritrichium caucasicum – 9.1±1.4, Trifolium badium – 10.3±2.6, Sedum tenellum – 11±2.05, Androsace albana – 12.1±2.5, Minuartia recurva – 22.9±4.5. Also we demonstrated the matrix population models for studied plants, which show the probability of transition of individuals from one ontogeny stage to another in time interval (in our experiment – 1 year.Conclusion. Mortality of seedlings and juvenile plants, except Murbeckiella huetii, is around and more than 50%. Two years is the minimal amount of time that is necessary for full cycle of short-lived alpine plants, as it was shown for Anthyllis vulneraria, Murbeckiella huetii и Trifolium badium. A 3-12 years lifespan was calculated for other studied species. Persistence of Eritrichium caucasicum and Androsace albana populations provided by resistance of adult vegetative plants.

Characteristics of medically related low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weir, G.J. Jr.; Teele, B.

1986-07-01

This report describes a survey that identified the current sources of medically generated radioactive wastes. Included are recommendations on how to reduce the volume of medically-related material classified as low-level radioactive wastes, to improve handling techniques for long-lived radioisotopes, and for options for the use of radioactive materials in medical studies. 8 refs., 11 tabs

Synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals containing short-lived radionuclides. Comprehensive report, March 1, 1980-February 26, 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabalka, G.W.

1985-09-01

New methods for the rapid introduction of short-lived radionuclides into agents for use in diagnostic nuclear medicine are reported. Among the new syntheses reported are those for 123 I-labeled fatty acids and steroids, for 11 C-labeled alcohols, for 13 N-labeled amines, and for 15 O-labeled alcohols. 33 refs

Synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals containing short-lived radionuclides. Progress report, March 1, 1985-February 26, 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabalka, G.W.

1985-09-01

Methods for the rapid introduction of short-lived radionuclides into agents for use in diagnostic nuclear medicine are reported. Methods to synthesize radioiodinated fatty acids, lipids, and amphetamine derivatives are described. New routes for the introduction of bromine-77, chlorine-34m, and carbon-11 into agents of interest are elaborated. 46 refs

Analysis of radioactive ruthenium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

This manual explains the procedures of analysis of radioactive ruthenium in the drain water from atomic energy plants. The most important radioactive ruthenium is 106 Ru, and the method of measurement described in this manual is to measure the beta ray of the daughter nuclide 106 Rh. The samples to be measured are collected from seawater, marine living things, and sediment of sea bottom near atomic energy plants. In case of sea water, the ruthenium is separated by the co-precipitation with magnesium hydroxide and distillation or the extraction with carbon tetrachloride, reduction and precipitation. The beta ray of the obtained sample is measured by a gas-flow type low background β counting system. Alkali dissolution-distillation or nitric acid extraction-distillation, reduction and precipitation are applied for marine living things. The sediment of sea bottom is treated with nitric acid or strong phosphoric acid, and distilled then the ruthenium is reduced and precipitated, and the beta-counting of the precipitation is made. The method to fix radioactive ruthenium on polyethylene films after the co-precipitation is also described for reference. The detectable levels by the present methods are 0.05 pCi/l for sea water, 0.1 pCi/g for marine living things, and 20 pCi/kg for the sediment of sea bottom. (Kato, T.)

Perspectives for environmental radiation protection in EU radiation protection legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janssens, A.

2000-01-01

The basis of EU radiation protection legislation is the EURATOM Trealy. It is discussed whether the Treaty offers a legal basis for the protection of the natural environment. The incorporation of provisions pertaining to the nuclear fuel cycle or to radioactive substances in general environmental legislation is explained, as well as the possible implications of international conventions subscribed by the European Union. The European Commission is in the process of developing an overall approach to risk analysis for the protection of health, consumer interests, and the environment. It is examined to what extent the consideration of the impact of radiation on the natural environment fits in the overall framework and whether the principles underlying classical radiation protection are applicable to biota. Specific attention is given to situations where high levels of environmental radioactivity would require intervention. (Author)

Changing-Look AGNs or Short-Lived Radio Sources?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wołowska, Aleksandra [Toruń Centre for Astronomy, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń (Poland); Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena; Mooley, Kunal [Centre for Astrophysical Surveys, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Hallinan, Gregg, E-mail: ola@astro.umk.pl [Cahill Center for Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)

2017-11-17

The evolution of extragalactic radio sources has been a fundamental problem in the study of active galactic nuclei for many years. A standard evolutionary model has been created based on observations of a wide range of radio sources. In the general scenario of the evolution, the younger and smaller Gigahertz-Peaked Spectrum (GPS) and Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) sources become large-scale FRI and FRII objects. However, a growing number of observations of low power radio sources suggests that the model cannot explain all their properties and there are still some aspects of the evolutionary path that remain unclear. There are indications, that some sources may be short-lived objects on timescales of 10{sup 4}–10{sup 5} years. Those objects represent a new population of active galaxies. Here, we present the discovery of several radio transient sources on timescales of 5–20 yrs, largely associated with renewed AGN (Active Galactic Nucleus) activity. These changing-look AGNs possibly represent behavior typical for many active galaxies.

Fast neutron activation analysis using short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salma, I.; Zemplen-Papp, E.

1993-01-01

Fast neutron activation analysis experiments were performed to investigate the analytical possibilities and prospective utilization of short-lived activation products. A rapid pneumatic transfer system for use with neutron generators has been installed and applied for detecting radionuclides with a half-life from ∼300 ms to 20 s. The transport time for samples of total mass of 1-4 g is between 130 and 160 ms for pressurized air of 0.1-0.4 MPa. The reproducibility of transport times is less than 2%. The employed method of correcting time-dependent counting losses is based on the virtual pulse generator principle. The measuring equipment consists of CAMAC modules and a special gating circuit. Typical time distributions of counting losses are presented. The same 14 elements were studied by the conventional activation method (single irradiation and single counting) by both a typical pneumatic transport system (run time 3 s) and the fast pneumatic transport facility. Furthermore, the influence of the cyclic activation technique on the elemental sensitivities was investigated. (author) 15 refs.; 5 figs.; 3 tabs

Charge breeding of intense radioactive beams

CERN Document Server

Kester, O

2001-01-01

The efficient transformation of radioactive beams by charge breeding devices will critically influence the lay-out of the post accelerator of presently built first generation radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities as well as new second generation facilities. The size of the post-accelerator needed to bring the unstable nuclei to the energies required to study nuclear reactions depends on the charge state of the radioactive ions. The capability to raise that charge state from 1+ to n+, where n may correspond to a charge-to- mass ratio of 0.15 or higher, will therefore produce an enormous reduction in cost as well as the possibility to accelerate heavier masses. Thus the efficiency of the charge breeding scheme in comparison to the stripping scheme will be explored in the frame of the EU-network charge breeding. The two possible charge breeding schemes using either an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) or an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS), the demands to the sources and the present status of existi...

Sources of ionizing radiation, radioactive or nuclear materials out of control. National system of response in Slovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auxtova, L.; Adamek, P.; Moravecb, R.; Melich, M.

2003-01-01

In this paper authors deals with the Customs inspection of radioactive materials - present situation as well as with situation after accession of the Slovak Republic process to European Union (EU). he actual response system to incidents with orphan sources or radioactive material occurring in metal scrap, illicit trafficking and disused sources out of control is laid down on the following scheme. The national strategy is aimed to establish a more effective responding system preventing further illegal trafficking with regard to the acceding process which will require for new member states joining EU proper arrangements in improving the safety of radiation sources over the life-cycle to ensure the effective functioning in the conditions of the Slovak Republic's membership in the European Union

Measurement of radioactive aerosols as an original indicator of atmospheric pollution in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Petit, G.; Millies-Lacroix, J. C.

1998-01-01

The Service Radioanalyses, Chimie et Environnment (Departement Analyses Surveillance de l'Environnement) of the French Atomic Energy Commission, located in suburban Paris, has for many years been conducting atmospheric radioactivity measurements. Since 1994, the laboratory has been using high volume air samplers equipped with filters for the weekly collection of atmospheric aerosols at a mean rate of about 600 m 3 .h -1 . The polypropylene filters, with a collection efficiency in excess of 93%, are compacted after sampling. The atmospheric radioactivity is measured by HP Ge gamma spectrometry after decay of short-lived natural relationship products. A study conducted in 1996 shows good correlation between the evolution with time of some of the indicators routinely used by AIRPARIF, the organization in charge of monitoring the air quality in the Ile-de-France region, to measure atmospheric pollution in the Paris area (SO 2 , NO) and that related to radioactivity of terrestrial ( 210 Pb, 40 K) and anthropogenic ( 137 Cs) origin, as well as the amount of aerosols collected. Further, the distribution in time of the atmospheric radioactivity of cosmogenic origin ( 7 Be) shows a yearly evolution somewhat similar to that observed with ozone

Systematics of half-lives for proton radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, E.L.; Rodrigues, M.M.N.; Duarte, S.B.; Tavares, O.A.P.

2007-01-01

Half-life measurements for both ground-state and isomeric transitions in proton radioactivity are systematized by using a semiempirical, one-parameter model based on tunneling through a potential barrier, where the centrifugal and overlapping effects are taken into account within the spherical nucleus approximation. This approach, which has been successfully applied to alpha decay cases covering ∼ 30 orders of magnitude in half-life, has shown, in addition, very adequate at fitting all existing data on partial half-life, T 1/2p , of proton emission from nuclei. Nearly 70 measured half-life values have been analysed, and the data could be described by two straight lines relating the pure Coulomb contribution to half life with the quantity Z d (μ 0 /Q p ) 1/2 (Z d is the atomic number of the daughter nucleus, μ 0 is the reduced mass, and Q p is the total nuclear energy available for decay). These straight lines are shown to correspond to different degrees of deformation, namely, very prolate (δ> approx. 0.1), and other shaped (delta < approx. 0.1) parent nuclei. The goodness in reproducing the data attained in the present systematics allows for half-life predictions for a few possible cases of proton radioactivity not yet experimentally accessed. (author)

Non-destructive investigation of technical plants and processes and natural processes by short-lived radionuclides (radiotracer)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jentsch, Thorsten; Zeuner, Albert

2009-01-01

Short lived open radionuclides are very suitable to investigate transport and mixing processes. They do not pollute the product. After decay of the radionuclide, the product can be used without any restrictions. Examples are showed for technical processes investigation by aid of radiotracer. (orig.)

151Eu nuclear resonant inelastic scattering of Eu3Pd20Ge6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsutsui, S.; Yoda, Y.; Kobayashi, Y.; Higashitaniguchi, S.; Seto, M.; Kitagawa, J.; Takabatake, T.

2010-01-01

151 Eu nuclear resonant inelastic scattering of Eu 3 Pd 20 Ge 6 . The Eu partial phonon density of states (DOS) in Eu 3 Pd 20 Ge 6 are investigated using 151 Eu nuclear resonance inelastic scattering (NRIS). 151 Eu NRIS was carried out at BL09XU of SPring-8. Significant temperature dependence was found in the partial phonon DOS. Judging from the valence change at the Eu 4a site and the comparison with the ab initio calculation of Eu 3 Pd 20 Ge 6 , the change of the Eu DOS is caused by the electronic states. On the other hand, significant acoustic contribution was found even at the guest site of the Eu ones. In addition, slower average velocity than transverse sound velocity was obtained by Eu partial phonon DOS. Considering that heat is carried by the acoustic phonon in materials, the present results demonstrate that the moderate thermal insulation in Eu 3 Pd 20 Ge 6 is connected with the observation of slow average sound velocity at the Eu sites. (K.F.)

Behavior of rare earth elements in fractured aquifers: an application to geological disposal criteria for radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Gu; Kim, Yong Je; Lee, Kil Yong; Kim, Kun Han

2003-01-01

An understanding of the geochemistry of potential host rocks is very important in the site evaluation for construction of an underground geologic repository for radioactive waste. Because of similar valence and ionic radii and high similarity in electronic structure with trivalent actinides (such as Am 3+ and Cm 3+ ), the rare earth elements (REEs) have been used to predict the behavior of actinide-series elements in solution (Runde et al., 1992). For Am and Cm, which occur only in the trivalent states in most waste-disposal repository environments, the analogy with the REEs is particularly relevant. In order to discuss the behavior of REEs in geological media and to deduce the behavior of actinides in geological environments based on the REE abundance, and to provide an useful tool in deciding an optimum geological condition for radioactive disposal, we estimated the REE abundance from various kinds of fractured rock type. In fractured granitic aquifer, chondrite-normalized REE pattern show Eu positive anomaly due to fracture-filling calcite precipitation. However, in fractured meta-basaltic and volcanic tuffaceous aquifer, REE pattern do not show the change of Eu anomaly due to fracture-filling calcite precipitation. Eu shows very similar properties such as cohesive energy, ionic radii with coordination number compared to Am. Therefore, if we consider the Eu behavior in fractured rocks and the similar physical/chemical properties of Eu and Am, together, our results strongly suggest that Eu is a very useful analogue for predicting the behavior of Am in geological environment

Radioactive Waste Management Program Activities in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matanic, R.

2000-01-01

The concept of radioactive waste management in Croatia comprises three major areas: management of low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILRW), spent fuel management and decommissioning. All the work regarding radioactive waste management program is coordinated by Hazardous Waste Management Agency (APO) and Croatian Power Utility (HEP) in cooperation with other relevant institutions. Since the majority of work has been done in developing low and intermediate level radioactive waste management program, the paper will focus on this part of radioactive waste management, mainly on issues of site selection and characterization, repository design, safety assessment and public acceptance. A short description of national radioactive waste management infrastructure will also be presented. (author)

Site investigations for repositories for solid radioactive wastes in shallow ground

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

This report provides an overview and technical guidelines for investigations on a national level for the selection and confirmation of a repository site that will provide adequately safe performance for disposal of solid radioactive wastes that are low- or intermediate-level and short-lived. It also provides basic information on technical activities to be undertaken and on techniques that are available for such investigations in the various steps in selecting suitable sites. The report supplements the information given in Shallow Ground Disposal of Radioactive Wastes: A Guidebook, IAEA Safety Series No. 53 (1981). This report focuses mainly on different aspects of earth sciences and the various investigative techniques relative to earth sciences that may be necessary for site investigations. Some major related studies in other fields are discussed briefly. It is assumed that no previous investigations have been undertaken, and the report proceeds through area site selection to the stage when the site is confirmed as suitable for a waste repository

Site investigations for repositories for solid radioactive wastes in shallow ground

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-01-01

This report provides an overview and technical guidelines for investigations on a national level for the selection and confirmation of a repository site that will provide adequately safe performance for disposal of solid radioactive wastes that are low- or intermediate-level and short-lived. It also provides basic information on technical activities to be undertaken and on techniques that are available for such investigations in the various steps in selecting suitable sites. The report supplements the information given in Shallow Ground Disposal of Radioactive Wastes: A Guidebook, IAEA Safety Series No. 53 (1981). This report focuses mainly on different aspects of earth sciences and the various investigative techniques relative to earth sciences that may be necessary for site investigations. Some major related studies in other fields are discussed briefly. It is assumed that no previous investigations have been undertaken, and the report proceeds through area site selection to the stage when the site is confirmed as suitable for a waste repository.

Search for short-lived particles produced on nuclei with a heavy liquid mini bubble chamber

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

The aim of this experiment is to search for short-lived particles produced in hadronic interactions on nuclei with our high resolution heavy liquid mini bubble chamber BIBC, aiming to establish the cross-section for associated production in hadron-nucleus collisions, its $A$-dependence and an approximate value of the lifetime. The chamber will be operated at a bubble density of 290 bubbles/cm and with an apparent bubble size of 30 $\\mu$m in real space. In test runs at CERN we measured detection efficiencies which, together with simulations of $D\\bar{D}$ production and decay, lead to a sensitivity of 0.25 events/($\\mu$b/N) per day if the lifetime is of the order of $5\\times10^{-13}$s. A null result after 10 days running time would set an upper limit on the production cross section to $3 \\mu$b. \\\\ \\\\ In order to measure the momenta of charged decay products of short-lived particles, the bubble chamber will be placed 1.80 m upstream of the streamer chamber of the NA5 experiment (MPI). The geometrical acceptance ...

Total cross section measurement of radioactive isotopes with a thin beam neutron spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razbudej, V.F.; Vertebnyj, V.P.; Padun, G.S.; Muravitskij, A.V.

1975-01-01

The method for measuring the neutron total cross sections of radioactive isotopes by a time-of-flight spectrometer with a narrow (0.17 mm in diameter) beam of thermal neutrons is described. The distinguishing feature of this method is the use of capillary samples with a small amount of substance (0.05-1.0 mg). The energy range is 0.01-0.3 eV. The total cross sections of irradiated samples of sub(153)Eu and sub(151)Eu are measured. From them are obtained the cross sections of sub(152)Eu (Tsub(1/2)=12.4 g) and of sub(154)E (Tsub(1/2)=8.6 yr); they equal 11400+-1400 and 1530+-190 barn at E=0.0253 eV. The cross section of the sub(152)Eu absorption for the thermal spectrum (T=333 K) is determined by the activation method; it is 8900+-1200 barn

Metrological tests of a 200 L calibration source for HPGE detector systems for assay of radioactive waste drums

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boshkova, T.; Mitev, K.

2016-01-01

In this work we present test procedures, approval criteria and results from two metrological inspections of a certified large volume "1"5"2Eu source (drum about 200 L) intended for calibration of HPGe gamma assay systems used for activity measurement of radioactive waste drums. The aim of the inspections was to prove the stability of the calibration source during its working life. The large volume source was designed and produced in 2007. It consists of 448 identical sealed radioactive sources (modules) apportioned in 32 transparent plastic tubes which were placed in a wooden matrix which filled the drum. During the inspections the modules were subjected to tests for verification of their certified characteristics. The results show a perfect compliance with the NIST basic guidelines for the properties of a radioactive certified reference material (CRM) and demonstrate the stability of the large volume CRM-drum after 7 years of operation. - Highlights: • Large (200 L) volume drum source designed, produced and certified as CRM in 2007. • Source contains 448 identical sealed radioactive "1"5"2Eu sources (modules). • Two metrological inspections in 2011 and 2014. • No statistically significant changes of the certified characteristics over time. • Stable calibration source for HPGe-gamma radioactive waste assay systems.

The total neutron cross-sections of 151Eu, 153Eu and Eu below 1 eV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adib, M.; Maayouf, R.M.A.; Abdel-Kawy, A.; Ashry, A.; Hamouda, I.

1980-12-01

Total neutron cross-section measurements have been carried out for natural Eu and its stable isotopes in the energy range from 3 meV-1 eV. The measurements were performed using two time-of-flight spectrometers installed in front of two of the horizontal channels of the ET-RR-1 reactor. The following results have been obtained: sigmasub(α)( 151 Eu) = 9180+-150 b at 0.0253 eV; sigmasub(α)( 153 Eu) = 375+-20 b at 0.0253 eV; sigmasub(α)(Eu) = 4600+-120 b at 0.0253 eV

Amount, disposal and relative toxicity of long-lived fission products and actinides in the radioactive wastes of the nuclear fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haug, H.O.

1975-11-01

A review is presented on the magnitude of the long-term problems of radioactive wastes from the nuclear power industry of the FRG (and Western Europe). The production of long-lived fission products and actinides has been calculated for several fuel types of the uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium fuel cycles and related to a prediction of the development and share of LWR, FBR and HTGR. The quantities and concentrations of actinides, the radioactivity and relative toxicity index of the wastes of reprocessing (and fuel refabrication) and their changes by radioactive decay are presented. The radiotoxicity of the nuclide inventory of the solidified high-level wastes have been compared with naturally occuring uranium ores. On the long term (>10 3 years) the radiotoxicity level of the total area of the final repository in deep geological formation does not result in a significantly higher radiotoxicity level than an uranium ore deposit of low uranium content. Also discussed have been the chemical separation of the actinides from high-level wastes and recycling in fission reactors. (orig.) [de

Microspheres labelled with short-lived isotopes: Development and application for tumors treatment (Experimental study)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drozdovsky, B.Y.; Rosiev, R.A.; Goncharova, A.Y.; Skvortsov, V.G.; Petriev, V.M.; Grigoriev, A.N.; Schischkanov, N.G.

1997-01-01

Analysis of the conducted studies strongly suggests the possibility of usage of the domestic protein microspheres as a vehicle for radionuclide. The neutron-activating method of RPP production enables to utilize a broad spectrum of short-living isotopes that can be delivered into the target organ and anchored there for a long time. Good treatment results were obtained in case of the experimentally induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats after intraarticular loading of 165 Dy-hMSA. Mathematical calculations show that homogeneous distribution of RPP in human articulation cavity with the square of 100 cm 2 can be achieved when the quantity of administered particles exceeds 3000. On the example of 165 Dy-hMSA energy characteristic distribution we demonstrated that the absorbed dose for damaged cells at 2mm distance from the radioactive source is 7 times less than the one for a sphere of 2mm diameter. Analysis of dosimetric data in case of intratumoral loading of 165 Dy-hMSA also point out the necessity of the absorbed dose calculation methods taking into account the distance from the source and possible heterogeneity of RPP distribution inside the tumor to be employed. The prolonged RPP detention in the target causing no essential morphological and functional changes was achieved by embolization on the level of septal and interlobular arteries and of efferent arterioles in the animal's renal. The uniformity of microsphere distribution in the organ and their accumulation in tumors depends on the number of particles being administered. Investigations carried out suggest the efficacy of radionuclide therapy application for treatment of oncological and heavy somatic diseases. They also indicate the necessity of further investigations aimed to optimize the usage of microspheres as a radionuclide carrier usage and to work out the criteria of dosimetric planning

Microspheres labelled with short-lived isotopes: Development and application for tumors treatment (Experimental study)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drozdovsky, B.Y.; Rosiev, R.A.; Goncharova, A.Y.; Skvortsov, V.G.; Petriev, V.M.; Grigoriev, A.N.; Schischkanov, N.G. [Medical Radiological Research Centre RAMS, Kaluga Region, (Russian Federation)

1997-10-01

Analysis of the conducted studies strongly suggests the possibility of usage of the domestic protein microspheres as a vehicle for radionuclide. The neutron-activating method of RPP production enables to utilize a broad spectrum of short-living isotopes that can be delivered into the target organ and anchored there for a long time. Good treatment results were obtained in case of the experimentally induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats after intraarticular loading of {sup 165}Dy-hMSA. Mathematical calculations show that homogeneous distribution of RPP in human articulation cavity with the square of 100 cm{sup 2} can be achieved when the quantity of administered particles exceeds 3000. On the example of {sup 165}Dy-hMSA energy characteristic distribution we demonstrated that the absorbed dose for damaged cells at 2mm distance from the radioactive source is 7 times less than the one for a sphere of 2mm diameter. Analysis of dosimetric data in case of intratumoral loading of {sup 165}Dy-hMSA also point out the necessity of the absorbed dose calculation methods taking into account the distance from the source and possible heterogeneity of RPP distribution inside the tumor to be employed. The prolonged RPP detention in the target causing no essential morphological and functional changes was achieved by embolization on the level of septal and interlobular arteries and of efferent arterioles in the animal`s renal. The uniformity of microsphere distribution in the organ and their accumulation in tumors depends on the number of particles being administered. Investigations carried out suggest the efficacy of radionuclide therapy application for treatment of oncological and heavy somatic diseases. They also indicate the necessity of further investigations aimed to optimize the usage of microspheres as a radionuclide carrier usage and to work out the criteria of dosimetric planning 25 refs.

A report of the symposium on 'comprehensive research on the management of long-lived radioactive wastes' in the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiguchi, Akira; Naito, Keiji; Suzuki, Susumu; Furuya, Hirotaka; Sato, Masatomo.

1983-01-01

In the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, the special research project ''Comprehensive Research on the Management of Long-lived Radioactive WasΩtes'' is carried out in the three-year period from fiscal 1982 to 1984. In this connection, a symposium has been held on January 25, 1983. Seven lectures given by the respective speakers are summarized individually: (1) the research of transuranic elements in educational institutions, (2) an outline of the actinoid research facilities planned in Tohoku University, (3) the radiation damage and leachability of glass solids, (4) the situation and trend in Japan and abroad of the disposal of long-lived nuclide wastes, (5) practical site tests concerning the geologic-formation disposal of low-level wastes, (6) the trend in the research of geologic formations for the disposal of high-level wastes, (7) the safety in the management of long-lived radioactive wastes. (Mori, K.)

Sub-seabed disposal of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivintsaev, Yu.V.

1990-01-01

The first stage of investigations of possibility of sub-seabed disposal of long-living intermediate-level radioactive wastes carried out by NIREX (UK) is described. Advantages and disadvantages of sub-seabed disposal of radioactive wastes are considered; regions suitable for disposal, transport means for marine disposal are described. Three types of sub-seabed burials are characterized

The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Present status and future plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.; Beene, J.R.

1998-01-01

The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) is a first generation national user facility for nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics research with radioactive ion beams (RIBs). The reconfiguration, construction, and equipment commissioning phases have been completed and the beam development program is in progress. In this article, descriptions of the facility and newly implemented experimental equipment for use in the nuclear and astrophysics programs will be given and an outline of the initial experimental program will be presented. Special target ion source related problems, endemic to the production of specific short lived RIBs will be discussed. In addition, plans, which involve either a 200 MeV or a 1 GeV proton linac driver for a second generation ISOL facility, will be presented

Strategic areas in radioactive waste management. The viewpoint and work orientations of the Nea radioactive waste management committee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) is a forum of senior operators, regulators, policy makers, and senior representatives of R and D institutions in the field of radioactive waste management. The Committee assists Member countries by providing objective guidance on the solution of radioactive waste problems, and promotes Safety in the short- and long-term management of radioactive waste. This report identifies some of the major challenges currently faced by national waste management programmes, and describes the strategic areas in which the RWMC should focus its efforts in future years. (author)

Implementation of short-term prediction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landberg, L; Joensen, A; Giebel, G [and others

1999-03-01

This paper will giver a general overview of the results from a EU JOULE funded project (`Implementing short-term prediction at utilities`, JOR3-CT95-0008). Reference will be given to specialised papers where applicable. The goal of the project was to implement wind farm power output prediction systems in operational environments at a number of utilities in Europe. Two models were developed, one by Risoe and one by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Both prediction models used HIRLAM predictions from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). (au) EFP-94; EU-JOULE. 11 refs.

Accumulation of radioactive iron in marine organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tateda, Yuzuru

1985-01-01

The accumulation and excretion of radioactive iron in some marine organisms was investigated by radio-tracer experiments. The concentration factor, biological half-life, distribution in body, and combining form in some organs, are compared and discussed between mollusks and fishes. The results obtained are: 1) The concentration factor of seaweed was higher than those of worm and fish in uptake from seawater. Abalone showed a higher concentration factor than fish. 2) The first component of excretion curve was small in case of a longer period of uptake from seawater. 3) Abalone and octopus showed a higher radioactivity retention than flounder and black-fish. 4) The fish fed labelled seaweed showed a lower radioactivity retention than fish fed labelled worm. 5) The fish fed radioisotopes with prey showed a higher radioactivity retention than fish fed labelled prey. 6) Biological half-lives were longer in abalone and octopus than in fishes. The biological half-lives of radioactive iron in fishes varied according to the uptake modes. 7) The distribution ratio of radioactive iron in organisms were large in the liver and degestive tract. 8) The GFC profile of 59 Fe in some organs of organisms showed combining form of same molecular weight of proteinous matter. (author)

Impact of preindustrial to present-day changes in short-lived pollutant emissions on atmospheric composition and climate forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Naik, Vaishali; Horowitz, Larry W.; Fiore, Arlene M.; Ginoux, Paul; Mao, Jingqiu; Aghedo, Adetutu M.; Levy, Hiram

2013-07-01

We describe and evaluate atmospheric chemistry in the newly developed Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory chemistry-climate model (GFDL AM3) and apply it to investigate the net impact of preindustrial (PI) to present (PD) changes in short-lived pollutant emissions (ozone precursors, sulfur dioxide, and carbonaceous aerosols) and methane concentration on atmospheric composition and climate forcing. The inclusion of online troposphere-stratosphere interactions, gas-aerosol chemistry, and aerosol-cloud interactions (including direct and indirect aerosol radiative effects) in AM3 enables a more complete representation of interactions among short-lived species, and thus their net climate impact, than was considered in previous climate assessments. The base AM3 simulation, driven with observed sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice cover (SIC) over the period 1981-2007, generally reproduces the observed mean magnitude, spatial distribution, and seasonal cycle of tropospheric ozone and carbon monoxide. The global mean aerosol optical depth in our base simulation is within 5% of satellite measurements over the 1982-2006 time period. We conduct a pair of simulations in which only the short-lived pollutant emissions and methane concentrations are changed from PI (1860) to PD (2000) levels (i.e., SST, SIC, greenhouse gases, and ozone-depleting substances are held at PD levels). From the PI to PD, we find that changes in short-lived pollutant emissions and methane have caused the tropospheric ozone burden to increase by 39% and the global burdens of sulfate, black carbon, and organic carbon to increase by factors of 3, 2.4, and 1.4, respectively. Tropospheric hydroxyl concentration decreases by 7%, showing that increases in OH sinks (methane, carbon monoxide, nonmethane volatile organic compounds, and sulfur dioxide) dominate over sources (ozone and nitrogen oxides) in the model. Combined changes in tropospheric ozone and aerosols cause a net negative top

Survey of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Wan No; Lee, Chang Wu; Choi, Geun Sik; Cho, Yeong Hyeon; Kang, Mun Ja; Cheong, Geun Ho; Kim, Hui Ryeong; Park, Du Won; Park, Hyo Guk; Kwak, Ji Yeon

2006-11-01

After the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, a lot of countries including EU, Japan, USA are to strengthen survey of radioactive contamination for foodstuffs. Our country has also surveyed radioactive contamination of the imported foodstuffs and started to check continuously the radioactivity contamination of the open market foodstuffs since 2003. In this year, imported foodstuffs(130 samples) and domestic foodstuffs(10 samples) are analyzed to investigate the radioactive contamination. Sampled foodstuffs items are collected from the open markets; one group is the imported foodstuffs and the other group is the domestic foodstuffs producted around nuclear facilities and northeast of Sokcho city concerning recent situations. Samples are usually bought from traditional markets, mart, department store or the Internet. After pretreatments such as drying, ashing, and homogenization, all samples were analyzed by gamma spectrometer system for survey and assessment of radioactive contamination. The 131 I radionuclide isn't detected among all foodstuffs(imported and domestic). The 137 Cs radionuclide among the regulation radionuclides( 137 Cs, 13 4 C s, 131 I) of food code is only detected at the imported foodstuffs but its level is far below the maximum permitted level. For the improvement of measurement confidence, the developed analysis method is tested by the participation of the national and international intercomparison. The developed method based on test results and international standard would be used at radioactive analysis as well as an education of relative workers. It could be applied as the basis data for amending the analysis method of food code. It is technically supported for radioactive analysis of commercial company and the government including KFDA. Finally these results would be used to solve an ambiguous anxiety of a people for radiation exposure by foodstuffs intake and help the KFDA to manage systematically the radioactive contamination and to give

Management of Radioactive Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tchokosa, P.

2010-01-01

Management of Radioactive Wastes is to protect workers and the public from the radiological risk associated with radioactive waste for the present and future. It application of the principles to the management of waste generated in a radioisotope uses in the industry. Any material that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides at concentrations or radioactivity levels greater than ‘exempt quantities’ established by the competent regulatory authorities and for which no further use is foreseen or intended. Origin of the Radioactive Waste includes Uranium and Thorium mining and milling, nuclear fuel cycle operations, Operation of Nuclear power station, Decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities and Institutional uses of isotopes. There are types of radioactive waste: Low-level Waste (LLW) and High-level Waste. The Management Options for Radioactive Waste Depends on Form, Activity, Concentration and half-lives of the radioactive waste, Storage and disposal methods will vary according to the following; the radionuclides present, and their concentration, and radio toxicity. The contamination results basically from: Contact between radioactive materials and any surface especially during handling. And it may occur in the solid, liquid or gas state. Decontamination is any process that will either reduce or completely remove the amount of radionuclides from a contaminated surface

Short-lived non-coding transcripts (SLiTs): Clues to regulatory long non-coding RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Tani, Hidenori

2017-03-22

Whole transcriptome analyses have revealed a large number of novel long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Although the importance of lncRNAs has been documented in previous reports, the biological and physiological functions of lncRNAs remain largely unknown. The role of lncRNAs seems an elusive problem. Here, I propose a clue to the identification of regulatory lncRNAs. The key point is RNA half-life. RNAs with a long half-life (t 1/2 > 4 h) contain a significant proportion of ncRNAs, as well as mRNAs involved in housekeeping functions, whereas RNAs with a short half-life (t 1/2 regulatory ncRNAs and regulatory mRNAs. This novel class of ncRNAs with a short half-life can be categorized as Short-Lived non-coding Transcripts (SLiTs). I consider that SLiTs are likely to be rich in functionally uncharacterized regulatory RNAs. This review describes recent progress in research into SLiTs.

CARIBIC observations of short-lived halocarbons and carbonyl sulphide over Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Leedham, E.; Wisher, A.; Oram, D.; Baker, A. K.; Brenninkmeijer, C. A.

2013-12-01

The CARIBIC project (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container, www.caribic-atmospheric.com) aims to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of a wide-range of compounds, including those of marine origin/influence, via ~monthly flights to collect in situ data and whole air samples aboard a commercial Lufthansa aircraft. CARIBIC measures up to an altitude of 12 km, allowing the influence of marine compounds on the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS) to be explored. In particular, CARIBIC is a useful tool for exploring the impact of very short lived halocarbons (e.g. CH2Br2, CHBr3), whose impact on stratospheric ozone is dependent on convective uplift to the UTLS, a process which is not yet fully quantified. As part of the suite of CARIBIC measurements, whole air samples are analysed at the University of East Anglia (UEA) via gas chromatography mass spectrometry for carbonyl sulphide (OCS) and up to 40 halocarbons (accounting for virtually 100% of organic chlorine, bromine and iodine in the UTLS). Here we present an overview of short-lived halocarbons and OCS measured by CARIBIC. We focus on two regions of particular interest. (1) measurements made in 2012 over the tropical west Pacific to link with UEA measurements made during the SHIVA campaign. (2) measurements made during a collection of flights over India in 2008. Flights over India investigated the impact of monsoon circulation on the distribution of these compounds; for example, elevated concentrations of OCS were seen in CARIBIC samples taken over India during the summer monsoon (July - September). These flights, along with a wider range of flights over Asia (from Frankfurt to Guangzhou, Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur) can provide unique information on the influence of tropical convection and monsoon circulation on halocarbon and OCS transport within this region.

Radiation doses arising from the air transport of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelder, R.; Shaw, K.B.; Wilson, C.K.

1989-01-01

There is a compelling need for the transport of radioactive material by air because of the requirement by hospitals throughout the world for urgent delivery for medical purposes. Many countries have no radionuclide-producing capabilities and depend on imports: a range of such products is supplied from the United Kingdom. Many of these are short lived, which explains the need for urgent delivery. The only satisfactory method of delivery on a particular day to a particular destination is often by the use of scheduled passenger air service. The International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO 1987-1988), prescribe the detailed requirements applicable to the international transport of dangerous goods by air. Radioactive materials are required to be separated from persons and from undeveloped photographic films or plates: minimum distances as a function of the total sum of transport indexes are given in the Instructions. A study, which included the measurement and assessment of the radiation doses resulting from the transport of radioactive materials by air from the UK, has been performed by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Department of Transport (DTp)

A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. E. Oram

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Large and effective reductions in emissions of long-lived ozone-depleting substance (ODS are being achieved through the Montreal Protocol, the effectiveness of which can be seen in the declining atmospheric abundances of many ODSs. An important remaining uncertainty concerns the role of very short-lived substances (VSLSs which, owing to their relatively short atmospheric lifetimes (less than 6 months, are not regulated under the Montreal Protocol. Recent studies have found an unexplained increase in the global tropospheric abundance of one VSLS, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2, which has increased by around 60 % over the past decade. Here we report dramatic enhancements of several chlorine-containing VSLSs (Cl-VSLSs, including CH2Cl2 and CH2ClCH2Cl (1,2-dichloroethane, observed in surface and upper-tropospheric air in East and South East Asia. Surface observations were, on occasion, an order of magnitude higher than previously reported in the marine boundary layer, whilst upper-tropospheric data were up to 3 times higher than expected. In addition, we provide further evidence of an atmospheric transport mechanism whereby substantial amounts of industrial pollution from East Asia, including these chlorinated VSLSs, can rapidly, and regularly, be transported to tropical regions of the western Pacific and subsequently uplifted to the tropical upper troposphere. This latter region is a major provider of air entering the stratosphere, and so this mechanism, in conjunction with increasing emissions of Cl-VSLSs from East Asia, could potentially slow the expected recovery of stratospheric ozone.

Recoil separators for radiative capture using radioactive ion beams. Recent advances and detection techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz, Chris [TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Greife, Uwe; Hager, Ulrike [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

2014-06-15

Radiative capture reactions involving the fusion of hydrogen or helium are ubiquitous in the stellar history of the universe, and are some of the most important reactions in the processes that govern nucleosynthesis and energy generation in both static and explosive scenarios. However, radiative capture reactions pose some of the most difficult experimental challenges due to extremely small cross sections. With the advent of recoil separators and techniques in inverse kinematics, it is now possible to measure radiative capture reactions on very short-lived radioactive nuclei, and in the presence of high experimental backgrounds. In this paper we review the experimental needs for making measurements of astrophysical importance on radiative capture reactions. We also review some of the important historical advances in the field of recoil separators as well as describe current techniques and performance milestones, including descriptions of some of the separators most recently working at radioactive ion beam facilities, such as DRAGON at TRIUMF and the DRS at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. We will also summarize some of the scientific highlight measurements at the RIB facilities. (orig.)

The Economic Integration Of The EU13 Regions Into EU Economy During The 2004–2013 Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kabát Libor

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to study and to highlight the applicative and interpretive limits of the GDP per capita indicators, when regional economics of the new member countries (EU13, particularly the process of integration of their regions into EU economy is examined in terms of the beta and sigma convergence. The growth of gross domestic product has long been pursued as the main objective of the economic activities of countries and regions. Its growth is seen as almost a guarantee of the proper functioning of the economy. The governments of individual countries, in the event of a decline in GDP, take measures for its recovery. Small attention, however, is given to the fact, whether such an economic development copes with the parameters of sustainable economic growth. Also, little attention is paid to the study of how the previous growth is reflected in the standard of living of the population and households in respective countries and regions.

Phosphor thermometry: On the synthesis and characterisation of Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Eu (YAG:Eu) and YAlO{sub 3}:Eu (YAP:Eu)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kissel, T. [Fachgebiet Reaktive Strömungen und Messtechnik (RSM), Center of Smart Interfaces (CSI), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 32, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Brübach, J., E-mail: bruebach@ekt.tu-darmstadt.de [Fachgebiet Reaktive Strömungen und Messtechnik (RSM), Center of Smart Interfaces (CSI), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 32, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Euler, M. [Fachgebiet Reaktive Strömungen und Messtechnik (RSM), Center of Smart Interfaces (CSI), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 32, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Frotscher, M.; Litterscheid, C.; Albert, B. [Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 18, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Dreizler, A. [Fachgebiet Reaktive Strömungen und Messtechnik (RSM), Center of Smart Interfaces (CSI), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 32, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2013-07-15

With regard to phosphor thermometry, the materials Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Eu (YAG:Eu) and YAlO{sub 3}:Eu (YAP:Eu) were synthesised and characterised in order to substitute the commonly used thermographic phosphor Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu, whose temperature sensitive luminescence lifetime exhibits a strong and most often undesirable cross-sensitivity to the oxygen concentration of the surrounding gas phase. The synthesis is outlined in detail and the crystallographic structure was characterised by X-ray diffraction. In a second step, the luminescence properties following pulsed UV laser excitation were determined. In this context, the emission spectra and the temperature lifetime characteristics were monitored. For Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Eu and YAlO{sub 3}:Eu, temperature sensitive ranges of 1000 K–1470 K and 850 K–1300 K were identified. Contrary to Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu, both materials do show much lower cross-sensitivities to the oxygen concentration of the surrounding gas phase. - Highlights: ► Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}:Eu and YAlO{sub 3}:Eu were synthesised and characterised. ► The synthesis is outlined and the crystallographic structure was characterised. ► Emission spectra and the temperature lifetime characteristics were monitored. ► Compared to Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu lower sensitivities to the oxyg. conc. of the gas phase emerged.

High Accuracy mass Measurement of the very Short-Lived Halo Nuclide $^{11}$Li

CERN Multimedia

Le scornet, G

2002-01-01

The archetypal halo nuclide $^{11}$Li has now attracted a wealth of experimental and theoretical attention. The most outstanding property of this nuclide, its extended radius that makes it as big as $^{48}$Ca, is highly dependent on the binding energy of the two neutrons forming the halo. New generation experiments using radioactive beams with elastic proton scattering, knock-out and transfer reactions, together with $\\textit{ab initio}$ calculations require the tightening of the constraint on the binding energy. Good metrology also requires confirmation of the sole existing precision result to guard against a possible systematic deviation (or mistake). We propose a high accuracy mass determintation of $^{11}$Li, a particularly challenging task due to its very short half-life of 8.6 ms, but one perfectly suiting the MISTRAL spectrometer, now commissioned at ISOLDE. We request 15 shifts of beam time.

EU Budgetary Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Citi, Manuele

2013-01-01

In this article I study the long-term evolution of the main categories of expenditure of the European Union (EU) budget (1984-2011). The aim is to assess the extent to which the EU is affected by a structural form of policy inertia, and to investigate the general pattern of policy stability...... and change in the EU in light of the two models of policy dynamics currently existing in the literature: the incrementalist model and the punctuated equilibrium model. The analysis of long series of original data extracted from the EU budget shows that EU policies do not evolve following an incrementalist...

International conventions for measuring radioactivity of building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Chenglong

2004-01-01

In buildings, whether civil or industrial, natural radioactivity always occurs at different degrees in the materials (main building materials, decorative materials). Concerns on radioactivity from building materials is unavoidable for human living and developing. As a member of WTO, China's measuring method of radioactivity for building materials, including radionuclides limitation for building materials, hazard evaluation system etc, should keep accordance with the international rules and conventions. (author)

Summing coincidence errors using Eu-152 lungs to calibrate a lung-counting system: are they significant?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, Gary H.; Lynch, Timothy P.; Lopez, Maria A.; Hauck, Brian

2004-01-01

The use of a lung phantom containing 152Eu/241Am activity can provide a sufficient number of energy lines to generate an efficiency calibration for the in vivo measurements of radioactive materials in the lungs. However, due to the number of energy lines associated with 152Eu, coincidence summing occurs and can present a problem when using such a phantom for calibrating lung-counting systems. A Summing Peak Effect Study was conducted at three laboratories to determine the effect of using an efficiency calibration based on a 152Eu/241Am lung phantom. The measurement data at all three laboratories showed the presence of sum peaks. However, two of the three laboratories found only small biases (<5%) when using the 152Eu/241Am calibration. The third facility noted a 25% to 30% positive bias in the 140-keV to 190-keV energy range that prevents the use of the 152Eu/241Am lung phantom for routine calibrations. Although manufactured by different vendors, the three facilities use similar types of detectors (38 cm2 by 25 mm thick or 38 cm2 by 30 mm thick) for counting. These study results underscore the need to evaluate the coincidence summing effect when using a nuclide such as 152Eu for the calibration of low energy lung counting systems

New methodology for Ozone Depletion Potentials of short-lived compounds: n-Propyl bromide as an example

Science.gov (United States)

Wuebbles, Donald J.; Patten, Kenneth O.; Johnson, Matthew T.; Kotamarthi, Rao

2001-07-01

A number of the compounds proposed as replacements for substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol have extremely short atmospheric lifetimes, on the order of days to a few months. An important example is n-propyl bromide (also referred to as 1-bromopropane, CH2BrCH2CH3 or simplified as 1-C3H7Br or nPB). This compound, useful as a solvent, has an atmospheric lifetime of less than 20 days due to its reaction with hydroxyl. Because nPB contains bromine, any amount reaching the stratosphere has the potential to affect concentrations of stratospheric ozone. The definition of Ozone Depletion Potentials (ODP) needs to be modified for such short-lived compounds to account for the location and timing of emissions. It is not adequate to treat these chemicals as if they were uniformly emitted at all latitudes and longitudes as normally done for longer-lived gases. Thus, for short-lived compounds, policymakers will need a table of ODP values instead of the single value generally provided in past studies. This study uses the MOZART2 three-dimensional chemical-transport model in combination with studies with our less computationally expensive two-dimensional model to examine potential effects of nPB on stratospheric ozone. Multiple facets of this study examine key questions regarding the amount of bromine reaching the stratosphere following emission of nPB. Our most significant findings from this study for the purposes of short-lived replacement compound ozone effects are summarized as follows. The degradation of nPB produces a significant quantity of bromoacetone which increases the amount of bromine transported to the stratosphere due to nPB. However, much of that effect is not due to bromoacetone itself, but instead to inorganic bromine which is produced from tropospheric oxidation of nPB, bromoacetone, and other degradation products and is transported above the dry and wet deposition processes of the model. The MOZART2 nPB results indicate a minimal correction of the

Interpretation of optimisation in the context of a disposal facility for long-lived radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

project P3-033 contained in the following output: R and D Technical Report P259 - Interpretation of Optimisation in the Context of a disposal Facility for Long-Lived Radioactive Waste. (author)

EU Energy Law. Volume 4. The EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delbeke, J.; Hartridge, O.; Lefevere, J.; Meadows, D.; Runge-Metzger, A.; Slingenberg, Y.; Vainio, M.; Vis, P.; Zapfel, P.

2006-06-01

Gives valuable insights in the why's, how's, trade-offs, and critical design choices of the Emission Trading System of the European Union (EU ETS). The chapters deal with (1) The EU ETS: the result of a decade of policy action on the economic dimension of EU environmental policy; (2) The international climate policy developments of the 1990s: UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Marrakech Agreements and the EU's Kyoto ratification decision; (3) Emissions trading: What is it? Design options and misconceptions; (4) The EU ETS Directive 2003/87/EEC explained; (5) The EU ETS Linking Directive explained; (6) The economic efficiency benefits of the EU ETS; (7) The NAP I experience; (8) The key importance of the Registry Regulation and of solid monitoring and verification; and (9) The potential role of the EU ETS for the elaboration of the post-2012 international climate regime. Conclusions are in chapter 10

Problems related to final disposal of high-level radioactive waste in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velichkin, Vasily I.

1999-01-01

According to this presentation, the radioactivity of the total amount of radioactive waste accumulated in Russia to date is 1.5*10 9 Ci and of spent fuel 4.5*10 9 Ci. A table is given that shows the source, type, volume activity and storage type under the responsibility of the different departments and enterprises. 99.9% of the wastes are accumulated at the enterprises of Minatom of the Russian Federation. Some companies inject their liquid wastes from ionisation sources and intermediate liquid waste from the nuclear power industry into deep-seated reliably isolated aquifers. The Mayak plant has released liquid low-level and intermediate wastes into artificial reservoirs and Lake Karachay. Liquid high-level wastes are always stored in special tanks at interim storage facilities. A large number of nuclear submarines are laid up in North-Western Russia and East Russia, with spent fuel still in place as the interim storages in these regions are filled up and there are no conditioning plants. Underground disposal is considered the best way of isolating radioactive waste for as long as it is hazardous to the environment. Two new technologies are discussed. One involves including long-lived isotopes in high-stable mineral matrices, the other uses selective separation from the bulk of wastes. The matrices should be disposed of deep in the Earth's crust, at least 2-3 km down. Liquid waste of caesium-strontium fraction must be transformed into glass-like form and stored underground at a depth of a few hundred metres. Short-lived low level and intermediate level wastes should be conditioned and then deposited in subsurface ferroconcrete repositories constructed in clays. Finally, the presentation discusses the selection of sites and conditions for radioactive waste disposal. Two sites are discussed, the Mayak plant and a possible site at Mining Chemical Combine in Krasnoyarsk-26

Environmental Kuznets curve for EU agriculture: empirical evidence from new entrant EU countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zafeiriou, Eleni; Sofios, Spyros; Partalidou, Xanthi

2017-06-01

The present work examines the intertemporal causal relationship between environmental damage from carbon emissions released by agriculture per 1000 ha of utilized agriculture area and economic performance in the sector of agriculture as described by net value added per capita. The autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach is employed to examine this linkage, for three new entrant EU countries, namely, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Hungary. The environmental Kuznets hypothesis is confirmed in the long run for Bulgaria and Czech Republic while in the short run is validated only for the case of Czech Republic. The results indicate that the adoption of environment-friendly farming practices and crops' selection does not secure simultaneous high economic and environmental performance at least in the short run for our sample countries and also in the long run for Hungary necessitating the modification of the agro-environmental measures adopted to make those two targets complementary and not mutually exclusive for a farmer.

A new integrative methodology for desertification studies based on magnetic and short-lived radioisotope measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldfield, F.; Higgitt, S.R.; Maher, B.A.; Appleby, P.G.; Scoullos, M.

1986-01-01

The use of mineral magnetic measurements and short-lived radioisotope studies with 210 Pb and 137 Cs is discussed within the ecosystem watershed conceptual framework. Used in conjunction with geomorphological, sedimentological, palaeoecological and geochemical techniques, these methods can form the core of an integrated multidisciplinary study of desertification and erosion processes on all relevant temporal and spatial scales. 30 refs.; 4 figs

Gel nano-particulates against radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deroin, Ph.

2004-01-01

The Argonne research center (USA) has developed a 'super-gel' compound, a polymer close to those used in baby's diapers, which can reach a 90% efficiency in the radioactive decontamination of porous materials, like bricks or concrete. The contaminated materials are sprayed with a mixture of polymer gel and wetting agent with nano-particulates in suspension. Under the action of the wetting agent, radioactivity migrates from the pores to the gel and is trapped by the nano-particulates. The drying and recycling of the gel allows to reduce the volume of radioactive wastes. Short paper. (J.S.)

The management of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This educative booklet describes the role and missions of the ANDRA, the French national agency for the management of radioactive wastes, and the different aspects of the management of radioactive wastes: goal, national inventory, classification, transport (organisation, regulation, safety), drumming, labelling, surface storage of short life wastes, environmental control, management of long life wastes (composition, research, legal aspects) and the underground research laboratories (description, public information, projects, schedules). (J.S.)

Study of radioactive sources accumulation with application of thermoluminescence dosemeters on the base of alkaline earth metals sulfates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokbergenov, I.; Sadykov, T.

2001-01-01

Methodic for study of accumulation and distribution of radioactive sources in a nature objects is developed. An essence of the method consists of in that quantity of accumulated radioactive sources in a nature objects is defining by absorption dose measured with help of thermoluminescent dosemeters on the base of alkaline earth metals sulfates such as CaSO 4 :Dy and SrSO 4 :Eu

Radioactivity in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez Niello, Jorge

2005-01-01

The book summarizes general concepts on radiation, nuclear structure, radioactivity and the interaction of the nuclear radiation with matter. It describes also the basic principles of radio dosimetry. Natural and artificial sources of radiation are reviewed as well as the effects of radiation in man. Medical and industrial applications of ionizing radiation and the pollution produced by the discharge of radioactive materials are outlined. A short review is made of the safety rules and the regulations concerning the protection of the environment [es

Highly luminescent Eu{sup 3+}-doped benzenetricarboxylate based materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Ivan G.N. [Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo 05508-900, SP (Brazil); Mustafa, Danilo, E-mail: dmustafa@iq.usp.br [Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo 05508-900, SP (Brazil); Andreoli, Bruno [Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo 05508-900, SP (Brazil); Felinto, Maria C.F.C. [Centro de Química do Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 2242, São Paulo 05508-000, SP (Brazil); Malta, Oscar L. [Departamento de Química Fundamental, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Recife 50670-90, PE (Brazil); Brito, Hermi F., E-mail: hefbrito@iq.usp.br [Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, São Paulo 05508-900, SP (Brazil)

2016-02-15

[RE(TMA)] anhydrous complexes (RE{sup 3+}: Y, Gd and Lu) present high red emission intensity with a quantum efficiency (~45%) for the [Y(TMA):Eu{sup 3+}] complexes, due to the absence of non-radioactive decay pathways mediated by water molecules. The complexes were prepared in mild conditions. All the compounds are crystalline and thermostable up to 460 °C. Phosphorescence data of the complexes with Y, Gd and Lu show that the T{sub 1} state of the TMA{sup 3−} anion has energy higher than the {sup 5}D{sub 0} emitting level of the Eu{sup 3+} ion, indicating that the ligand can act as an intramolecular energy sensitizer. The photoluminescence properties of the doped materials were studied based on the excitation and emission spectra and luminescence decay curves. The experimental intensity parameters (Ω{sub λ}), lifetimes (τ), radiative (A{sub rad}) and non-radiative (A{sub nrad}) decay rates were determined and discussed. - Highlights: • Highly luminescent Europium doped anhydrous complexes. • Efficient monochromatic red light conversion molecular devices (LCMDs). • High emission quantum efficiencies.

Limitations on the concentration of radioactive elements substances (natural or enhanced by human activity) in building materials - a proposal for draft Israeli regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlesinger, T.; Hareuveny, R.; Margaliot, M.

1997-01-01

Natural radioactive elements 40 K 228 U and 232 Th and their decay product such as 226 Ra and its short lived daughters occur in building materials in relatively high concentrations. 40 K and part of the above mentioned radionuclides cause external exposure while the inhalation of 222 Ra and its short lived progeny lead to internal exposure of the respiratory tract to alpha particles. In recent years there is a growing tendency to use new construction materials with naturally or technologically enhanced levels of radioactivity (e.g. phosphogypsum, fly ash, exotic minerals etc). This trend causes a growing health concern.The result of this concern is legislation activity and publication of guidance notes by national authorities and international professional organizations related to the radiological implications of these novel technologies. The Ministry of the Environment in Israel is authorized by Israeli legislation to control the exposure of the public to ionising radiation. The ministry asked in 1996 a professional group in the Radiation Protection Division in the Soreq NRC (the authors of this presentation) to study the radiological implications of the use of building materials with naturally or technologically enhanced concentrations of radioactive substances, and to submit draft regulations setting primary limits on excess exposure of the public to ionizing radiation from building materials, and derived limits related to concentrations of specific radionuclides in these materials.The draft regulations will be presented and the way of their derivation will be reviewed (authors)

The effects of Eu-concentrations on the luminescent properties of SrF2:Eu nanophosphor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagoub, M.Y.A.; Swart, H.C.; Noto, L.L.; O’Connel, J.H.; Lee, M.E.; Coetsee, E.

2014-01-01

SrF 2 :Eu nanophosphors were successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The structure of the nanophosphors was investigated with x-ray diffraction. The average crystallite size calculated using the Scherrer equation was in the range of 7.0 nm. The photoluminescence of Eu doped as-prepared SrF 2 nanophosphors were studied using different excitation sources. The samples showed emission from both the Eu oxidation states, Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ . At low Eu concentrations the emission from Eu 2+ centered at 416 nm was more dominant. While the narrow band of Eu 3+ emission intensity increased with an increase in the Eu concentration. High resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the Eu was indeed in both Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ valance states. The presence of Eu 2+ and Eu 3+ in the system largely enhanced the response of the Eu 3+ under ultraviolet excitation. The time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry results suggested that the energy transfer between two ions was likely to occur. The relative photoluminescence intensity of the Eu 2+ rapidly decreased with an increasing laser beam irradiating time. This result would make the current Eu 2+ doped SrF 2 samples unsuitable candidates for several applications, such as white light-emitting diodes and wavelength conversion films for silicon photovoltaic cells. - Highlights: • SrF 2 : Eu nanophosphors were successfully synthesised (hydrothermal technique). • PL and XPS results showed enhanced absorption response of Eu 3+ UV excitation. • Eu concentrations more than 5 mol% improved fluorescence emission. • TOF-SIMS results suggested that the energy transfer from Eu 2+ to Eu 3+ is dominant

Evaluating future detriment from radioactive discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleishman, A.B.; Clark, M.J.

1982-01-01

A quantitative framework for expressing judgements on the relative valuation of both future protection costs and radiation detriment from radioactive discharges is discussed. The framework can be applied to a series of notional effluent control options, illustrating the sensitivity of optimum protection levels to variations in discount rates. Using data on the radiological significance and management of radioactive discharges arising from the nuclear fuel cycle, it was shown that this quantitative optimization method of evaluating future detriment has important implications for the management of radioactive effluents, particularly those containing long-lived nuclides. (U.K.)

Non-Destructive Testing for Control of Radioactive Waste Package

Science.gov (United States)

Plumeri, S.; Carrel, F.

2015-10-01

Characterization and control of radioactive waste packages are important issues in the management of a radioactive waste repository. Therefore, Andra performs quality control inspection on radwaste package before disposal to ensure the compliance of the radwast characteristics with Andra waste disposal specifications and to check the consistency between Andra measurements results and producer declared properties. Objectives of this quality control are: assessment and improvement of producer radwaste packages quality mastery, guarantee of the radwaste disposal safety, maintain of the public confidence. To control radiological characteristics of radwaste package, non-destructive passive methods (gamma spectrometry and neutrons counting) are commonly used. These passive methods may not be sufficient, for instance to control the mass of fissile material contained inside radwaste package. This is particularly true for large concrete hull of heterogeneous radwaste containing several actinides mixed with fission products like 137Cs. Non-destructive active methods, like measurement of photofission delayed neutrons, allow to quantify the global mass of actinides and is a promising method to quantify mass of fissile material. Andra has performed different non-destructive measurements on concrete intermediate-level short lived nuclear waste (ILW-SL) package to control its nuclear material content. These tests have allowed Andra to have a first evaluation of the performance of photofission delayed neutron measurement and to identify development needed to have a reliable method, especially for fissile material mass control in intermediate-level long lived waste package.

Alpha-induced reaction cross section measurements on 151Eu for the astrophysical γ-process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyuerky, Gy.; Elekes, Z.; Farkas, J.; Fueloep, Zs.; Halasz, Z.; Kiss, G.G.; Somorjai, E.; Szuecs, T.; Gueraya, R.T.; Oezkana, N.

2010-01-01

Compete text of publication follows. The astrophysical γ-process is the main production mechanism of the p-isotopes, the heavy, proton-rich nuclei not produced by neutron capture reactions in the astrophysical sand r-processes. The γ-process is a poorly known process of nucleosynthesis, the models are not able to reproduce well the p-isotope abundances observed in nature. Experimental data on nuclear reactions involved in γ-process reaction networks are clearly needed to provide input for a more reliable γ-process network calculation. As a continuation of our systematic study of reactions relevant for the γ-process, the cross sections of the 151 Eu(α, γ) 155 Tb and 151 Eu(α,n) 154 Tb reactions have been measured. These reactions have been chosen because α-induced cross section data in the region of heavy p-isotopes are almost completely missing although the calculations show a strong influence of these cross section on the resulting abundances. Since the reaction products of both reactions are radioactive, the cross sections have been measured using the activation technique. The targets have been prepared by evaporating Eu 2 O 3 enriched to 99.2% in 151 Eu onto thin Al foils. The target thicknesses have been measured by weighing and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy. The targets have been irradiated by typically 1-2 μA intensity α-beams from the cyclotron of ATOMKI. The investigated energy range between 12 and 17 MeV was covered with 0.5 MeV steps. This energy range is somewhat higher than the astrophysically relevant one, but the cross section at astrophysical energies is so low that the measurements are not possible there. The γ- activity of the reaction products has been measured by a shielded HPGe detector. The absolute efficiency of the detector was measured with several calibration sources. Since 154 Tb has two long lived isomeric states, partial cross sections of the 151 Eu(α,n) 154 Tb reaction leading to the ground and isomeric states

Online selection of short-lived particles on many-core computer architectures in the CBM experiment at FAIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zyzak, Maksym

2016-01-01

Modern experiments in heavy ion collisions operate with huge data rates that can not be fully stored on the currently available storage devices. Therefore the data flow should be reduced by selecting those collisions that potentially carry the information of the physics interest. The future CBM experiment will have no simple criteria for selecting such collisions and requires the full online reconstruction of the collision topology including reconstruction of short-lived particles. In this work the KF Particle Finder package for online reconstruction and selection of short-lived particles is proposed and developed. It reconstructs more than 70 decays, covering signals from all the physics cases of the CBM experiment: strange particles, strange resonances, hypernuclei, low mass vector mesons, charmonium, and open-charm particles. The package is based on the Kalman filter method providing a full set of the particle parameters together with their errors including position, momentum, mass, energy, lifetime, etc. It shows a high quality of the reconstructed particles, high efficiencies, and high signal to background ratios. The KF Particle Finder is extremely fast for achieving the reconstruction speed of 1.5 ms per minimum-bias AuAu collision at 25 AGeV beam energy on single CPU core. It is fully vectorized and parallelized and shows a strong linear scalability on the many-core architectures of up to 80 cores. It also scales within the First Level Event Selection package on the many-core clusters up to 3200 cores. The developed KF Particle Finder package is a universal platform for short- lived particle reconstruction, physics analysis and online selection.

Online selection of short-lived particles on many-core computer architectures in the CBM experiment at FAIR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zyzak, Maksym

2016-07-07

Modern experiments in heavy ion collisions operate with huge data rates that can not be fully stored on the currently available storage devices. Therefore the data flow should be reduced by selecting those collisions that potentially carry the information of the physics interest. The future CBM experiment will have no simple criteria for selecting such collisions and requires the full online reconstruction of the collision topology including reconstruction of short-lived particles. In this work the KF Particle Finder package for online reconstruction and selection of short-lived particles is proposed and developed. It reconstructs more than 70 decays, covering signals from all the physics cases of the CBM experiment: strange particles, strange resonances, hypernuclei, low mass vector mesons, charmonium, and open-charm particles. The package is based on the Kalman filter method providing a full set of the particle parameters together with their errors including position, momentum, mass, energy, lifetime, etc. It shows a high quality of the reconstructed particles, high efficiencies, and high signal to background ratios. The KF Particle Finder is extremely fast for achieving the reconstruction speed of 1.5 ms per minimum-bias AuAu collision at 25 AGeV beam energy on single CPU core. It is fully vectorized and parallelized and shows a strong linear scalability on the many-core architectures of up to 80 cores. It also scales within the First Level Event Selection package on the many-core clusters up to 3200 cores. The developed KF Particle Finder package is a universal platform for short- lived particle reconstruction, physics analysis and online selection.

Studies on separation, conversion and transmutation of long-living radionuclides. A contribution to advanced disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modolo, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

The future role and acceptance of nuclear energy will be decisively determined by the safe operation of existing and future facilities and by convincing solutions for nuclear waste management. With respect to the long half-lives of some radionuclides (actinides and fission products) and the related question as to whether the release of radionuclides from a repository can be prevented over very long periods of time, alternatives to the direct disposal of spent nuclear fuels are discussed internationally. As a potential complementary solution, the technological option with partitioning and transmutation (P and T) is considered. This method separates and converts the long-lived radionuclides into stable, short-lived nuclides via neutron reactions in dedicated facilities. Against this background, the first main chapter of the present work looks at the chemical separation of actinides from high-level reprocessing wastes. In order to achieve a better understanding of the processes at the molecular level, basic investigations were also performed on separating actinides(III) via liquid-liquid or liquid-solid extraction. At the same time, reversible processes were developed and tested on the laboratory scale with the aid of mixer-settlers and centrifugal extractors. The subsequent chapter focuses on separating the long-lived fission product iodine-129 from radioactive wastes as well as from process effluents arising from reprocessing. As part of this work, different simple chemical and physical techniques were developed for complete recovery with respect to transmutation or conditioning in host matrices that are sufficiently stable for final storage. Its high mobility and radiological properties make iodine-129 relevant for the long-term safety assessment of final repositories. In addition, transmutation experiments on iodine-127/129 targets were performed using high-energy protons (145-2600 MeV). Due to the expected low cross sections (<100 mb), transmutation with protons

Harvard-MIT research program in short-lived radiopharmaceuticals. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adelstein, S.J.

1995-02-01

The Harvard-MIT Research Program in Short-lived Radiopharmaceuticals was established in 1977 to foster interaction among groups working in radiopharmaceutical chemistry at Harvard Medical School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. To this was added a group at The Childrens Hospital. From these collaborations and building upon the special strengths of the participating individuals, laboratories and institutions, it was hoped that original approaches would be found for the design of new, clinically useful, radiolabeled compounds. The original thrust of this proposal included: (a) examination of the coordination chemistry of technetium as a basis for rational radiopharmaceutical design, (b) development of an ultrashort-lived radionuclide generator for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease in newborns, (c) synthesis of receptor-site-directed halopharmaceuticals, (d) improved facile labeling of complex molecules with positron-emitting radionuclides. The authors' 1986 proposal was oriented toward organs and disease, emphasizing radiolabeled agents that delineate specific functions and the distribution of receptors in brain, heart, and tumors. In 1989, they further refined their purposes and focused on two major aims: (a) synthesis and utilization of neutral technetium and rhenium complexes of high specific activity, and (b) development of new approaches to the radiolabeling of proteins, peptides, immunoglobulins, and their fragments. In 1992, the authors amended this proposal to concentrate their efforts on biologically active peptides and proteins for targeted radiodiagnosis and therapy

Harvard-MIT research program in short-lived radiopharmaceuticals. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adelstein, S.J. [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Office of Sponsored Programs

1995-02-01

The Harvard-MIT Research Program in Short-lived Radiopharmaceuticals was established in 1977 to foster interaction among groups working in radiopharmaceutical chemistry at Harvard Medical School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. To this was added a group at The Childrens Hospital. From these collaborations and building upon the special strengths of the participating individuals, laboratories and institutions, it was hoped that original approaches would be found for the design of new, clinically useful, radiolabeled compounds. The original thrust of this proposal included: (a) examination of the coordination chemistry of technetium as a basis for rational radiopharmaceutical design, (b) development of an ultrashort-lived radionuclide generator for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease in newborns, (c) synthesis of receptor-site-directed halopharmaceuticals, (d) improved facile labeling of complex molecules with positron-emitting radionuclides. The authors` 1986 proposal was oriented toward organs and disease, emphasizing radiolabeled agents that delineate specific functions and the distribution of receptors in brain, heart, and tumors. In 1989, they further refined their purposes and focused on two major aims: (a) synthesis and utilization of neutral technetium and rhenium complexes of high specific activity, and (b) development of new approaches to the radiolabeling of proteins, peptides, immunoglobulins, and their fragments. In 1992, the authors amended this proposal to concentrate their efforts on biologically active peptides and proteins for targeted radiodiagnosis and therapy.

Mapping the course of the EU "Power Target Model"... on its own terms

OpenAIRE

GLACHANT, Jean-Michel

2016-01-01

The European Union took more than 20 years to start defining a common market design for its internal electricity market: a European Power Target Model. And, a further 10 years to fully implement it. Meanwhile, the reference generation set of that model has shifted from CCGT burning gas to RES units transforming intermittent natural resources. Could the existing EU target model continue to work well for the short- term operation and long-term investment? If not, can the existing EU institution...

European legislation on radioactive waste management - opportunities and areas of uncertainty in case of shared competence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisova, O.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to establish the regularities characterizing the European legislative framework for the radioactive waste management, the basic principles, legislative mechanism and relevant alternative methods of co-regulation and self-regulation, as well as characterization of areas of uncertainty in the radioactive waste management in case of shared competence and capabilities to improve the system involved in management of dangerous to health and the environment wastes from nuclear applications. Subject of study is the EU legislative framework on the management of radioactive waste, in particular the possibilities of existing mechanisms to achieve balance in the distribution of powers between the Community and national legislation regarding the responsibilities related to the radioactive waste management

Living labs an arena for development and testing Ambient Assisted living technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassen, Anna Marie; Bangshaab, Jette

everyday activities. Conclusion: Based on staff and end user interviews, the study were able to conclude that independence is the main motivation for using AAL-technology. Application to Practice: The results are now used at the municipality level in several areas. The project has provided a more user......Background: This gives an example of Living labs as an arena for development/testing Ambient Assisted Living technology (AAL-technology). The selected Living lab is part of an EU-supported development project in collaboration with practice and concerns a Living lab that has developed...... an implementation model for an AAL-technology – toilets with douche and drying. (2) Method: The study involves Living lab as location for technology development/testing as well as user-driven approaches to obtain initial data. (1) Moreover, the study is based on process interviews, qualitative research interviews...

Residual radioactivity in the soil of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in the former USSR.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, M; Tsukatani, T; Katayama, Y

1996-08-01

This paper deals with our efforts to survey residual radioactivity in the soil sampled at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and at off-site areas in Kazakhstan. The soil was sampled at the hypocenter where the first Soviet nuclear explosion was carried out on 29 August 1949, and at the bank of the crater called "Bolapan," which was formed by an underground nuclear detonation on 15 January 1965 along the Shagan River. As a comparison, other soil was also sampled in the cities of Kurchatov and Almaty. These data have allowed a preliminary evaluation of the contemporary radioactive contamination of the land in and around the test site. At the first nuclear explosion site and at Bolapan, higher than background levels of 239,240Pu with weapons-grade plutonium were detected together with fission and activation products such as 137Cs, 60Co, 152Eu, and 154Eu.

Local coordination of Eu(III) in organic/inorganic amine functionalized hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlos, L.D.; Sa Ferreira, R.A.; Goncalves, M.C.; Zea Bermudez, V. de

2004-01-01

The sol-gel method was used to prepare two families of organic/inorganic hybrids incorporating europium triflate, classed as di-urethanesils and aminosils. A siliceous network to which short polyether chains are covalently bonded through urethane linkages, composes the di-urethanesil host. A siliceous network containing pendant amine terminated propyl chains, forms the aminosils. The xerogels were investigated by photoluminescence, particularly the local interaction between the Eu 3+ ions and the host matrix. The Eu 3+ local coordination was modelled in terms of a local-field perturbation representing the ion's nearest ligands interaction potential. While for the aminosils the Eu 3+ ions occupy one low-symmetry local site--crystal-field strength of ca. 760.5 cm -1 and 5 D 0 lifetime of 0.6-0.7 ms--two local Eu 3+ environments with distinct point symmetry group, 5 D 0 lifetimes (ca. 0.2-0.3 and 1.4-1.8 ms, respectively) and covalent nature--crystal-field strengths of ca. 540 and 740-780 cm -1 , respectively--were identified in the di-urethanesils

Proposed EU-India free trade agreement could impede manufacture of generic HIV drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Sandra Ka Hon

2011-04-01

Medical experts are warning that an international trade agreement being brokered between the European Union (EU) and India could greatly restrict the access of people living with HIV in the developing world to life-saving antiretroviral medication.

Educational and training needs in radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mele, I.; Mavko, B.; Jencic, I.

2005-01-01

For further safe use of nuclear technology it is highly important to maintain the achieved level of knowledge and expertise. The risk of losing nuclear knowledge accumulated in the past is being increasingly discussed in many countries. As part of this debate the knowledge of radioactive waste management is also being closely watched. The current position and future needs of education and training in radioactive waste management were investigated within the coordination action CETRAD as part of the 6 th Framework Programme of the EU. Twenty partners from 17 European countries, including Slovenia, took part in this investigation. The review focused on geological disposal. It has considered the training and education needs of national radioactive waste management organisations, regulatory and government advisory organisations, and other nuclear industry organisations employing staff in this area, and also the provision of education and training by university and non-university organisations to address these needs. The results and conclusions of this research are presented in this paper. Emphasis is given to the national survey results and estimations of our E and T needs in radioactive waste management. (author)

Shallow land disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The application of basic radiation protection concepts and objectives to the disposal of radioactive wastes requires the development of specific reference levels or criteria for the radiological acceptance of each type of waste in each disposal option. This report suggests a methodology for the establishment of acceptance criteria for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste containing long-lived radionuclides in shallow land burial facilities

The total neutron cross-sections of 151Eu, 153Eu and Eu below 1 eV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adib, M.; Maayouf, R.M.A.; Abdel-Kawy, A.; Ashry, A.; Hamouda, I.

1981-01-01

Total neutron cross-section measurements have been carried out for natural Eu and its stable isotopes in the energy range from 3 meV to 1 eV. The measurements were performed using two time-of-flight spectrometers installed in front of two of the horizontal channels of the ET-RR-1 reactor. The following results have been obtained: sigmasub(a) ( 151 Eu) = (9180 +- 150) b at 0.0253 eV, sigmasub(s) ( 153 Eu) = (375 +- 20) b at 0.0253 eV, sigmasub(d) (Eu) = (4600 +- 120) b at 0.0253 eV. The contribution of the resonance to the total neutron cross-sections, in the thermal region, was calculated using the single-level Breit-Wigner formula. (orig.)

Contribution of the short lived radionuclides in food to the total radiation burden of man after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popovic, D.; Djuric, G.; Smelcerovic, M.; Maksimovic, B.

1989-01-01

The paper presents the results of the short lived radionuclides (I-131, Te(I)-132, Cs-136, Ce-141,144, Ru-103,106, Ba(La)-140, Zr-95, Mo-99, Nb-95, Sb-125) mass activities estimation in some foodstuff (milk and milk products), immediately after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl, in May 1986. The activities of the radionuclides were determined on Ge(Li) detector by standard gamma spectrometry, with the total error less than 20%. The results enabled the evaluation of the short lived radionuclides contribution in the total dose due to ingestion of milk and milk products, in the first month after the accident, compared to the contribution of I-131 and to the contribution of the main long lived radionuclides: Ce-134 and Cs-137 (author)

Radiation protection and ambient radioactivity monitoring in the area of the Asse mine. Annual report 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, H.; Stippler, R.

1998-01-01

The number of annual sampling and measurements performed in compliance with the operator's monitoring duties have been the same as last year: 364. All measured radioactivity values were at the level of natural environmental radioactivity. Some samples and measurements reflected the fallout from former atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and the accident at the Chernobyl reactor. Personnel dosimetry was performed according to legal requirements of the Radiation Protection Ordinance, as were measurements for the monitoring of ambient doses, dose rates and radioactivity levels in the air of the mine structures. All measured values were below the maximum permissible personal doses and occupational dose limits. Ambient air measurements in the salt mine as in the preceding years detected low amounts of the nuclides H 3, C 14, Pb 210, and the short-lived daughter products of Rn 222 and Rn 220. The calculated radioactivity concentrations in the vicinity of the mine, derived from averaged annual effluents, to some part were below the average natural concentrations of the nuclides. The effluent-induced radiation dose at the most affected location was far below the limits set by the Radiation Protection Ordinance. (orig./CB) [de

Tackling Tuwaitha's radioactive ruins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Full text: Some 1000 Iraqi men, women and children in a village near the former Tuwaitha nuclear site are living inside an area contaminated by radioactive residues and ruins. A project to clean-up the site, and other contaminated facilities in Iraq, was kick-started earlier this year at IAEA headquarters. Inhabitants of the Ishtar village, based within the Tuwaitha site boundary, some 20 kilometres south of Baghdad, are living in an area where levels of radiation are known to be higher than normal and prolonged exposure could prove risky over time. US authorities have supplied the IAEA with photographs of the Tuwaitha reactor that show crumbling facades and interiors of rubble, spray-painted with warnings like 'radioactive' and 'HOT'. (See Photo Essay). Once at the heart of Iraq's nuclear programme, the Tuwaitha complex was inspected and largely dismantled during IAEA-led weapons inspections in the 1990s and subsequently bombed in the 2003 war. It is one of a number of sites in the country identified as needing decommissioning or remediation where radioactive material was used or waste are buried. The Iraqi Government has requested the IAEA's assistance to prepare plans and programmes to decommission contaminated facilities in the country. The project's groundwork was set at an IAEA meeting in Vienna in February 2006, attended by the Iraqi Minister for Science and Technology, representatives from sixteen countries, including the US, and the European Commission. 'This is a huge task, one that could take many years,' says Mr. Dennis Reisenweaver, the IAEA safety expert in charge of the effort. Among the first steps is to identify, cordon off, and prioritise contaminated areas that pose the most risk to the public. Some of the challenges facing the clean-up effort include determining now unknown locations where contaminated equipment and materials might be buried, and recovering lost records about the contents of radioactive materials stored in waste containers

Mechanistic role of citric acid in the sorption of Eu(III) at titania - water interface