Development of sampling devices and analytical methods for nuclear monitoring activities (2022)
The primary objective of our research development project is to develop world-class monitoring techniques (sampling, sample preparation and measurement) to investigate the atmospheric and groundwater transport of radioisotopes that are most likely to be released in connection with the operation of nuclear and isotope-application facilities and that are relevant to the long-term safety of radioactive waste repositories.
Nuclear measurement capacity development at Isotoptech Zrt. (2022)
The aim of the project is to purchase new measuring equipment to improve the technological development in the field of radioanalytics, which will allow us to increase the service level of the laboratory. To achieve this, we also plan to improve human resources and organisational structure, and to use renewable energy to increase production stability.
Acquisition and further development of Ortinno Hip&Knee medical devices know-how (2021)
The objective of the project is to establish a development and production capacity that will ensure the possibility of mass production of the Ortinno Hip&Knee device and its further development to meet specific needs.
Development and implementation of activities for the pre-disposal management of radioactive waste.
Europlanet aims to bring together research institutions and companies active in planetary science from Europe and beyond. Planetary science covers not only our solar system, but also planetary systems around other stars.
Establishment of an International Radiocarbon AMS Competence and Training (INTERACT) Center (2020)
Isotoptech Zrt. participates as a member of the consortium led by the Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The theoretical and technical knowledge possessed by both parties will provide an excellent basis for the establishment of an internationally competitive AMS C-14 competence center…
Procurement of water cutting equipment (2016)
The water cutting equipment is primarily required for the production of vacuum technical elements (flanges, end plates) and special devices for the manufacture of structural elements of large thickness.
Development of high-precision noble gas analytical methods (2016)
Thanks to the grant, a Thermo® HELIX SFT type high-precision noble gas mass spectrometer was installed in our laboratory and one of the most challenging and demanding gas handling and injection system was built.
Procurement of analytical measuring instruments (2011)
Procurement of analytical measuring instruments – GOP-2.1.1-11/A-2011-1004 ISOTOPTECH Zrt. purchased two pieces of equipment within the framework of the tender: 1 piece of TitrIC 7 ion chromatograph and 1 piece of UV-2600 UV/VIS spectrophotometer.
Procurement of measuring instruments (2009)
The objective of the grant is to purchase an AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometer).
Development of sample digestion and preparation systems and measurement methods (2009)
The objective of the grant is to establish a sample preparation laboratory for the operation of the AMS mass spectrometer. The most important equipment for the sample preparation laboratory was purchased and several self-developed devices were built.
Social Monitoring, Information and Community Development Partnership (TEIT)
Since the 1990s, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. has installed background radiation measuring and display equipment in the municipalities of the TEIT with the aim of allaying the fears of people living near the plant about radiation and building confidence in the safe operation of MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd.


MEDIA ADVISORY & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania is hosting an energy roundtable with speakers Bernard Bigot, high commissioner to the French Atomic Energy Commission, and Arnold Thackray, chancellor of the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
The French Atomic Energy Commission focuses on managing nuclear waste and designing fourth-generation, more efficient nuclear reactors as well as looking at materials that may use reactors for producing hydrogen and synthetic hydrocarbons.
The discussion will focus on nanoscale materials, devices and simulations that may impact nuclear- and alternative-energy technologies and opportunities to develop institutional partnerships and exchange.
Friday, Nov. 21, noon-1:30 p.m.
Raisler Lounge, 2nd Floor, Towne Hall, 220 S. 33rd St.


The Nuclear Reactor Regulation branch of the NRC notified Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant officials Monday afternoon the plant’s extended power uprate license amendment had been approved.
Xcel Energy issued the following statement and information in a news release Tuesday afternoon:
The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved Xcel Energy’s application to increase output at Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant to 671 megawatts from 600 megawatts.
“The Monticello nuclear plant currently generates about 10 percent of the electricity we provide customers in our Upper Midwest service territory, and it’s carbon-free energy,” said Dave Sparby, president and CEO, Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company. “The increased output will provide additional low-cost energy to our customers.”
Karen Fili, site vice president at Monticello, thanked plant employees for their effort in attaining the milestone. “This is good news for our customers, for the Monticello community and for all Monticello plant employees,” she said.
Within about a month, plant operators will begin slowly increasing power at small intervals to ensure everything is operating as designed.
In addition to the license amendment, Xcel Energy awaits an NRC decision in spring 2014 that will allow more operator flexibility before the plant ascends to the full 671 megawatts.
The Monticello plant, began operation in 1970 under a 40-year license from the NRC. The NRC subsequently approved a 20-year operating license extension. The plant currently generates enough electricity to power nearly a half-million homes.


The Department of Energy s (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is a five year effort which works to develop the fundamental scientific basis to understand, predict, and measure changes in materials and systems, structure, and components as they age in environments associated with continued long-term operations of existing commercial nuclear power reactors. This year, the Materials Aging and Degradation (MAaD) Pathway of this program has placed emphasis on emerging Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) methods which support these objectives. DOE funded Research and Development (R&D) on emerging NDE techniques to support commercial nuclear reactor sustainability is expected to begin next year. This summer, the MAaD Pathway invited subject matter experts to participate in a series of workshops which developed the basis for the research plan of these DOE R&D NDE activities. This document presents the results of one of these workshops which are the DOE LWRS NDE R&D Roadmap for Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPV). These workshops made a substantial effort to coordinate the DOE NDE R&D with that already underway or planned by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) through their representation at these workshops.
Date: September 1, 2012
Creator: Smith, Cyrus M; Nanstad, Randy K; Clayton, Dwight A; Matlack, Katie; Ramuhalli, Pradeep & Light, Glenn
This document presents the results of a study conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory during 2010 to explore the feasibility of small modular fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactors (FHRs). A preliminary reactor system concept, SmATHR (for Small modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor) is described, along with an integrated high-temperature thermal energy storage or salt vault system. The SmAHTR is a 125 MWt, integral primary, liquid salt cooled, coated particle-graphite fueled, low-pressure system operating at 700 C. The system employs passive decay heat removal and two-out-of-three , 50% capacity, subsystem redundancy for critical functions. The reactor vessel is sufficiently small to be transportable on standard commercial tractor-trailer transport vehicles. Initial transient analyses indicated the transition from normal reactor operations to passive decay heat removal is accomplished in a manner that preserves robust safety margins at all times during the transient. Numerous trade studies and trade-space considerations are discussed, along with the resultant initial system concept. The current concept is not optimized. Work remains to more completely define the overall system with particular emphasis on refining the final fuel/core configuration, salt vault configuration, and integrated system dynamics and safety behavior.
Date: February 1, 2011
Creator: Greene, Sherrell R; Gehin, Jess C; Holcomb, David Eugene; Carbajo, Juan J; Ilas, Dan; Cisneros, Anselmo T et al.


Novel Authentication of Monitoring Data Through the use of Secret and Public Cryptographic Keys
The Office of Nuclear Verification (ONV) is supporting the development of a piece of equipment to provide data authentication and protection for a suite of monitoring sensors as part of a larger effort to create an arms control technology toolkit. This device, currently called the Red Box, leverages the strengths of both secret and public cryptographic keys to authenticate, digitally sign, and pass along monitoring data to allow for host review, and redaction if necessary, without the loss of confidence in the authenticity of the data by the monitoring party. The design of the Red Box will allow for the addition and removal of monitoring equipment and can also verify that the data was collected by authentic monitoring equipment prior to signing the data and sending it to the host and for review. The host will then forward the data to the monitor for review and inspection. This paper will highlight the progress to date of the Red Box development, and will explain the novel method of leveraging both symmetric and asymmetric (secret and public key) cryptography to authenticate data within a warhead monitoring regime.
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- Report Number(s):
- DOE Contract Number:
- Resource Type:
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 55th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM 2014), July 20-24, 2014, Atlanta, Georgia, 1:537-543
- Institute for Nuclear Materials Management, Deerpark, IL, United States(US).
- Research Org:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org:
- Country of Publication:
- United States


Very fast inorganic crystal scintillators
Future HEP experiments at the energy and intensity frontiers require fast inorganic crystal scintillators with excellent radiation hardness to face the challenges of unprecedented event rate and severe radiation environment. This paper reports recent progress in application of very fast inorganic scintillators in future HEP experiments, such as thin layer of LYSO crystals for a shashlik sampling calorimeter and a precision TOF detector proposed for the CMS upgrade at the HL-LHC, undoped CsI crystals for the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab and yttrium doped BaF_2 crystals for the proposed Mu2e-II experiment. Applications for Gigahertz hard X-ray imaging will also be discussed.
Additional Information© 2017 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of High Energy Physics program under Award Number DE-SC0011925.
Published - 103920G.pdf


While the UK has embraced Horizon Europe, they’ve chosen a different path regarding Euratom. Instead of rejoining, the UK will direct substantial funding, previously designated for Euratom, towards their domestic fusion energy objectives. This emphasizes their concentrated efforts in advancing fusion energy. As a result, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) will receive augmented funding, positioning them for a deeper and more impactful collaboration with international partners including the EUROfusion framework. This enables the UKAEA to harness shared research facilities and resources, further driving progress in fusion research.
This strategic move enhances not only the EUROfusion programme and the UKAEA but also galvanizes the broader fusion research community. Our unified commitment to propelling fusion as a key sustainable energy solution is emboldened by this renewed partnership. We are eager to embark on this reinvigorated journey, confident in the collective strides we’ll make together.
Related news articles


V.C. Summer Unit 2: CA05 Module Set
The CA05 structural module was placed on the Unit 2 nuclear island on December 6, 2014. The 180,000-pound module consists of reinforced steel plates that will be filled with concrete to provide structural support for the containment building, and the walls of CA05 will separate multiple rooms in the containment building. CA05 forms part of the chemical and volume control system tunnel and passive core cooling system walls within the containment vessel.


LTP: Laboratory for Particle Physics
The Laboratory of Particle Physics (LTP) at the Paul Scherrer Institute pursues fundamental research, addressing some of the most up to date questions in modern, accelerator-based particle physics. read more
Scientific Highlights and News
A specialSciPost volume, entitled “Review of Particle Physics at PSI”, has recently been completed.
Researchers are looking for deviations in the current standard model of physics and want to find out how our universe is constructed.
In experiments at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, an international research collaboration has measured the radius of the atomic nucleus of helium five times more precisely than ever before. The researchers are publishing their results today in the journal Nature.


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Fundamental Research on Radiochemistry of Geological Nuclear Waste Disposal
Keywords:Nuclear waste disposal, Radionuclide geochemistry, Radionuclide retention and transport
AbstractCurrently, 5 · 1019 Bq of radioactive waste originating from the use of nuclear power for energy production, and medicine, industry and research, is maintained in Switzerland at intermediate storage facilities. Deep geological disposal of nuclear waste is considered as the most reliable and sustainable long-term solution worldwide. Alike the other European countries, the Swiss waste disposal concept embarks on the combination of engineered and geological barriers. The disposal cell is a complex geochemical system. The radionuclide mobility and consequently radiological impact depend not only on their chemical speciation but also on the background concentration of other stable nuclides and their behaviour in the natural environment. The safety assessment of the repository is thus a complex multidisciplinary problem requiring knowledge in chemical thermodynamics, structural chemistry, fluid dynamics, geo- and radiochemistry. Broad aspects of radionuclide thermodynamics and geochemistry are investigated in state-of-the-art radiochemical laboratories at the Paul Scherrer Institute. The research conducted over the last 30 years has resulted in a fundamental understanding of the radionuclides release, retention and transport mechanism in the repository system.
How to Cite
S. V. Churakov, W. Hummel, M. M. Fernandes, Chimia 2020, 74, 1000, DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2020.1000.
Copyright (c) 2020 Sergey V. Churakov, Wolfgang Hummel, Maria Marques Fernandes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


After a profound analysis of scientific evidence in recent years, it has been found that the risk to human health when exposed to radon is 2 times greater than previously thought.
On this basis, the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) changed the value for the reference level of radon in homes from 600 Bq/m3 to 300 Bq/m3. This represents a significant step forward in the development of a coherent radiation protection system.
The new Directive explicitly sets out the control of the living environment related to the safety of the population and its risk groups. For the first time, it brings together all radiation sources, including the control of natural radionuclides, including the control of radon radiation in residential and public buildings as well as in the workplace.
The Directive follows the recommendations of international standards for radiation protection in requiring member states to develop National Action Plans to address long-term radon exposure risks. One of the key requirements is to identify areas where the concentration of radon (in average annual values) in a significant number of buildings is expected to exceed the relevant national reference level.


Identification and quantitative determination of carbohydrate molecules in Greek honey by employing 13C NMR spectroscopy†
A methodology based on 13C NMR spectroscopy was employed to detect and quantify fourteen mono-, di- and trisaccharide molecules in authentic Greek honey samples with no prior separation. Unambiguous assignment of 13C NMR chemical shifts has been achieved by means of two-dimensional NMR techniques using sugar model compounds. The quantitative 13C NMR method was rigorously validated (accuracy, linearity, range, limit of detection, etc.) using either single sugar molecules, or artificial mixtures of isoglucose (glucopyranose and fructose) and global mixtures of fourteen model compounds. Subsequent integration of appropriate signals in the 13C NMR spectra allowed the quantification of these compounds. The present methodology has been applied to authentic Greek honey samples and provided quantitative results for 28 sugar tautomers. The observed differentials in the content of these biomarkers amongst the various honey samples of different botanical origins are expected to form the basis for the development of a sensitive method that can be used to obtain valuable information about the authenticity of honey.


Rosatom and the Government of Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous Okrug signed an agreement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to co-operate in deployment of a low-power NPP (ASMM) using a Shelf-M reactor plant. The agreement, signed by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Chukotka Acting Governor Vladislav Kuznetsov, outlines the procedure for organising interaction for the construction of a ASMM to supply power the Sovinoye gold deposit and Chukotka settlements.
Construction of a ASMM with a Shelf-M reactor is a part of a federal project "New nuclear power industry, including small reactors for remote territories". This, in turn is part of a comprehensive programme "Development of engineering, technology & scientific research for the use of atomic energy in the Russian Federation".
The developer of the Shelf-M reactor plant and the general designer is NA Dollezhal Scientific Research & Design Institute of Power Engineering (Nikiet). Rusatom Overseas is responsible for managing the project. The service life of the station is 60 years and the reactor operates for about eight years on a single fuel load. The capacity of the reactor is 35 MWt or 10 MWe. It is planned to complete the technical designs of the reactor plant and the main process equipment by 2024 with the aim of launching operation of the ASMM in 2030.
The Sovinoye deposit, off the coast of the Chukchi Sea in the Iultinsky district, is part of the Chaun-Bilibino industrial zone. The deposit was discovered in the 1970s and is the centre of a gold-bearing cluster, where more than 30 placer and base gold deposits have been discovered. Following an auction in 2020, JSC Elkonsky MMC, which is part of the control loop of the Mining Division of Rosatom (Atomredmetzoloto), acquired a licence for geological study, exploration and production of gold at Sovinoye.
“ASMM projects are of great importance for the socio-economic development of remote and hard-to-reach regions of Russia with a decentralised energy supply,” said Likhachev. “They make it possible to remove infrastructure restrictions, give rise to new promising industrial projects, create new jobs and professions, thereby contributing to economic growth and improving people's lives…. Shelf-M is an expansion of the range of low-power reactors and our capabilities in the use of nuclear energy, an adaptation of technologies to the needs of customers.”
Vladislav Kuznetsov said Chukotka is the flagship for implementation of domestic projects for low-capacity NPPs on its territory. In 1974, the first unit of the Bilibino NPP with a capacity of 12 MWe began operation there and in 2020, the world's only floating NPP, Akademik Lomonosov, was put into operation in the city of Pevek. “This was a landmark event for our district and the entire global nuclear industry,” he noted. “The next step, which we intend to take jointly with Rosatom, is construction of a low-power ground-based NPP based on the Shelf-M reactor plant.”
Denis Kulikov, Nikiet’s Chief Designer of reactors for low power NPPs said Shelf-M is an integral-type pressurised water reactor. It is 11 metres long with a diameter of 8 metres and the plant overall weighs 370 tonnes. The module can be transported from site to site, for example, on a barge. The fuel will be uranium dioxide in a matrix of silumin (an alloy of aluminium and silicon). The channel-type core layout and fuel composition are similar to those used on nuclear icebreakers.
Rosatom working groups with the administrations of target northern regions have identified possible sites. Work is underway on preliminary design solutions for the NPP in relation to one of the sites. “The preliminary design of the reactor plant should be completed in the summer. Then we will start developing materials for technical projects of the main systems and equipment of the power unit,” Kulikov said.
Together with contractors, Nikiet is developing the concept of robotisation of the reactor plant. Personnel access to the containment of the reactor plant during operation impossible is, so many technological operations must be performed by robotic manipulators. It is planned to manufacture mock-ups of critical components of robotic systems and start testing them in a working environment.
“And the most interesting thing, in my opinion, is remote operator and dispatch control. We will not be able to implement this system in full at the lead NPP, where the operating personnel will work as usual. But after testing the system in a backup mode on the lead unit and confirming its reliability and safety, we hope to make procedural control remote in serial production.”
Shelf-M is capable of operating using natural circulation of the primary coolant at approximately 30% of maximum power level. “We cannot fully ensure circulation only due to natural processes, since the installation must be transported as an assembly, and the reactor must have reasonable overall characteristics from this point of view,” Kulikov explained. “But part of the safety systems are organised using natural circulation - both emergency cooling of the reactor and cooldown do not require power supply systems or pumps.”
The number of sites suitable for nuclear power sources with a unit capacity of up to 10 MWe suggests a large demand. Their role in the medium term will be the replacement of exhausted capacities, both nuclear and fossil fuel, and the creation of local generation centres for new industrial facilities in remote areas with no centralised energy supply.
Next year development of the technical design of the reactor plant and the main equipment of the power unit should be completed. In 2026, the main components and structural elements will undergo testing and in 2027 equipment will be supplied to the site. Physical start-up and commissioning of the lead ASMM with a Shelf-M is planned for 2030. Depending on pilot operation of lead station, construction of the second and subsequent power units could begin in 2032.
Image: The Shelf-M reactor concept (courtesy of Rosatom)


The role of fission in the r-process
Zinner, N. T.
We have developed a full set of fission rates that include spontaneous fission, neutron-induced fission, beta-delayed fission and, neutrino-induced fission, that are supplemented with realistic distributions of fission yields. Using this new input data we have carried out r-process calculations assuming adiabatic expansions that mimic the conditions achieved in the supernova neutrino driven wind. We have explored the sensitivity of the final abundances to different mass models. The resulting abundance distribution turns out to be very sensitive to the strength of the N = 82 shell gap far from stability. Mass models with a strong shell gap converge to an r-process distribution that is independent of the initial conditions once fission sets in. This convergence is not achieved in mass models with a quenched N = 82 shell gap. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.


Antihydrogen and Antiprotons
We are setting up a continuous coherent source of radiation in the vacuum-ultraviolet at 121.6 nm. Radiation at this wavelength of Lyman-alpha is essential for future laser-cooling of antihydrogen atoms in a magnetic trap.
Experiment: Magnetic Moment of the Proton
We are setting up a Penning-trap experiment to measure the magnetic moment of a single isolated proton.
Conference: Precision Physics of Simple Atomic Systems (PSAS2006)," Venice International University, June 12-17, 2006.
Physics School: "Highly Charged Ions and Antiprotons - Atomic physics, fundamental symmetries and interactions," Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Physics School, Physikzentrum Bad Honnef, April 4-12, 2008.


For the latest Slicer documentation, visit the 4.10 page.
Introduction and Acknowledgements
This work is part of the SparKit project, funded by An Applied Cancer Research Unit of Cancer Care Ontario with funds provided by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Consortium for Adaptive Interventions in Radiation Oncology (OCAIRO) to provide free, open-source toolset for radiotherapy and related image-guided interventions.
The DoseComparison module computes the difference between two co-registered dose volumes using the gamma dose distribution comparison method. This module uses the gamma Plastimatch algorithm internally.
Comparing dose distributions
Panels and their use
- Reference dose volume: Dose distribution used as reference
- Evaluated dose volume: Dose distribution used as evaluation/compare
- Mask structure: Segmentation and contained segment whithin which the gamma index is calculated, but not outside (it will be 0)
- Distance-to-agreement (DTA): Mark dose voxel as failed if closest dose voxel with same value found in distance higher than this threshold, see Low paper below
- Dose difference criteria: Mark dose voxel as failed if dose difference is equal or greater than this threshold, see Low paper below
- Maximum value / Custom: Reference dose value for threshold can be either the maximum dose in the dose map, or a custom cGy value
- Do not calculate gamma values for voxels below (analysis threshold): self-explanatory
- Use linear interpolation: self-explanatory
- Upper bound for gamma values: If gamma value would be higher than this value, the value will be set instead
- Dose threshold on reference only
- Gamma volume: Output volume to contain gamma map. Needs to be created using the combobox. Name will be automatically filled from the names of the input volumes
- Low, D. A.; Harms, W. B.; Mutic, S. & Purdy, J. A. A technique for the quantitative evaluation of dose distributions Med. Phys, 1998, 25 (5), 656/6
- Low, D. A. & Dempsey, J. F. Evaluation of the gamma dose distribution comparison method Med. Phys, 2003, 30 (9), 2455/10
Information for Developers


ECVET Customised Seminar for the Nuclear Energy Sector
Rome, 12 - 14 November 2014
The Institute for Energy and Transport of the Joint Research Centre in collaboration with the ECVET Team of DG EAC is organising the 3rd ECVET Seminar customised for the nuclear energy sector (NES) in order to support and assist the national nuclear E&T networks in setting up a Pilot project on European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) implementation in the nuclear energy sector.
This seminar will explore the possibility to set up a pilot project to test the implementation of ECVET in the context of international mobility of learners. The participants will be representatives of national networks willing to participate in such a project.
During the seminar the tools, content, and composition of the project will be devised with the guidance of two ECVET facilitators.
Deadline: 15 July 2014


Cheating Scandal at Naval Nuclear Power School
(Washington, D.C.) Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert has pledged to take quick action to investigate and correct an alleged cheating scandal among US Naval Nuclear Program Operators.
About 30 of 150 watch-standers at the Navy’s Charleston Nuclear Power Training Unit in South Carolina are being investigated for alleged cheating on a written qualification exam, the chief of naval operations said today.[…]The alleged cheating involved written qualification exams for one watch station. Presumably, someone got hold of an answer sheet and passed it around.
The propulsion exam allegedly was shared among some senior enlisted operators of nuclear power plants. Both Greenert and Navy Adm. John M. Richardson, the director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, stressed that this incident does not touch on nuclear weapons.
“To say that I’m disappointed would be an understatement,” Greenert, the Navy’s top officer, said. “Whenever I hear about integrity issues, it’s disruptive to our units’ success and it’s definitely contrary to all of our core values -- our Navy core values. And it affects the very basis of our ethos.”


The radioactive elements in the marine fish caught in the harbor of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan far exceed safety levels for human consumption, according to a report issued by the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on Monday. In particular, the data released show that the content of Cs-137, a radioactive element that is a common byproduct in nuclear reactors, is 180 times that of the standard maximum stipulated in Japan’s food safety law.
CGTN downloaded the English version of the report available on TEPCO’s official website. According to the data, the sampled black rockfish contains the radioactive element Cs-137 with a content of 18,000 becquerels per kilogram. Data available on the website of Fukushima Revitalization Station run by Japan’s Fukushima prefectural government shows that Japan’s current limit of radioactive cesium in general food which contains fish is set at 100 becquerels per kilogram.
A Chinese news website sina.com.cn quoted experts noting that the radioactive elements in the nuclear wastewater could penetrate into fish, shrimp and other seafood, and later accumulate in the human body after consumption.
A magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11, 2011, triggered a massive tsunami that destroyed the plant’s power supply and cooling systems, causing reactors No. 1, 2 and 3 to melt and spew large amounts of radiation. Water used to cool the reactors’ cores leaked into the basements of the reactor buildings and mixed with rainwater and groundwater.
Now, 12 years after the triple reactor meltdowns, Japan is preparing to release the massive amount of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea later this summer.
TEPCO on Monday started sending seawater into an underwater tunnel to be diluted before releasing the nuclear wastewater into the ocean. The company said that all facilities for the water release system are expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Local fishing communities say their businesses and livelihoods will suffer still more damage. Neighboring countries such as China and South Korea and Pacific Island nations have raised safety concerns. Environmental groups including Friends of the Earth oppose the release.


Preparing for disturbances
Individuals, operators and the public authorities alike need to be prepared for different types of disturbances. The Health Protection Act specifically assigns municipalities the task of ensuring a healthy and safe living environment for all in the event of disturbances.
The municipal health protection authority, operators and other authorities together prepare in advance for various disturbances to prevent, detect and eliminate health detriments. If the situation requires it, the health protection authority will issue the necessary prohibitions and regulations to ensure healthy conditions.
In the event of a major disturbance, Valvira or a Regional State Administrative Agency will issue the necessary regulations. The regulations apply to citizens, companies, and the authorities. Such a major disturbance could be an accident at a nuclear power plant. Precautions must also be taken for such an accident, even though it is very unlikely.
Valvira has also drawn up instructions for various drinking water disturbances. Visit our Procedures for securing the quality of drinking water page for instructions concerning drinking water disturbances.
Preparing for a nuclear or radiation emergency
In the event of a nuclear or radiation emergency, it is necessary to prepare for self-protection and cleaning. When it comes to protection and cleaning, you must always follow the instructions of the authorities.
There are several guidelines for how to prepare for a nuclear or radiation emergency. Valvira has prepared guidelines for nuclear or radiation emergencies to ensure that drinking water, indoor spaces and the living environment remain safe. In turn, the Finnish Food Authority has drawn up guidelines for nuclear or radiation emergencies to protect foodstuffs and primary production The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is Finland’s nuclear and radiation emergencies expert.
For example, the municipal health protection authorities ensure that staying in public buildings in a nuclear or radiation emergency will not cause health detriments, and that the use of drinking water is safe.


Catalogs of our main suppliers (ORTEC, FLIR)
AMETEK ORTEC is the result of the sale of the EG & G ORTEC division to AMETEK. ORTEC is the precursor and leader of nuclear measurement; designer of the first detectors Si(Li) and then HPGe, the company also had the initiative of the first NIM modules.
ORTEC now offers all the elements of implementation for alpha and gamma spectrometers (detectors, electronics, software).
ORTEC is also very present in the nuclear safety with portable gamma and neutron spectrometers for the detection of explosives or chemical gases.
FLIR’s detection division offers portable solutions adapted to difficult environments for the detection and identification of chemical and radiological threats.
ARKTIS is a Swiss-based company created by former CERN researchers who wanted to introduce new Helium 4 neutron detectors. The company has developed several detection systems for gamma radiation and neutrons applied to nuclear safety (radioprotection vehicle, radioprotection gantry). ARKTIS solutions are characterized by the addition of new technologies (He4 neutron detectors, gamma Helium detectors and Xenon detectors) which greatly reduces the cost of investments and the use of radar protection systems.


Monitoring material changes in the hostile environment of a fusion reactor
Materials are widely recognized as one of the critical remaining challenges for making fusion a commercially viable energy source. In a future fusion power plant, the materials surrounding and interacting with the plasma must survive in an extremely hostile environment for up to two years to produce electricity reliably, safely and economically.
Now, researchers at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center have demonstrated for the first time a novel diagnostic instrument that can remotely map the composition of material surfaces inside a magnetic fusion device. The measurements can be performed in between successive plasma experiments so researchers can study the evolution of materials over time. This new approach to the study of fusion materials promises to provide scientists with new insights into the dynamic interaction of fusing plasma and its surrounding materials.
The challenges to materials from plasma interactions are severe: the erosion of surface material, the mixing of materials to form unintended alloys, and the retention of the plasma fuel. These processes fundamentally modify the properties for which the materials were originally selected, resulting in shortened component lifetime and degraded plasma performance. The dynamic, spatially varying changes to the material surfaces, coupled with the hostile environment inside the magnetic fusion device, present substantial challenges for experimental study in present-day devices.
To date, the leading experimental approach has been to remove the materials for study to an offsite, dedicated facility, where the materials are analyzed with high-energy particle beams using a technique known as ion beam analysis (IBA). While providing precise measurements of the material composition and structure, IBA is resource intensive for the fusion facility, requiring time consuming manned access while only providing a "snapshot" of the material removed at a single moment in time.
The MIT research team led by Professor Dennis Whyte and graduate students Harold Barnard, Zach Hartwig and Brandon Sorbom has, for the first time, performed IBA within a magnetic fusion device. The technique employs a small linear accelerator to inject a beam of charged particles (or ions) into the Alcator C-Mod tokamak between plasma discharges. Because the beam is composed of ions, magnets normally used to confine plasma can be used to steer the beam to different material surfaces. Advanced particle detectors located nearby detect the induced neutron and gamma particles, which can be used to compute the composition of the material surfaces.
The first experimental results from the diagnostic will be presented at the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics meeting in Denver in November. Researchers were able to track changes of deuterium, the heavy form of hydrogen fusion fuel, and boron, a protective metallic film that coats the materials, at four different surface locations in response to plasma operation. The measured changes of boron erosion and deposition were in agreement with previous studies, demonstrating that the technique is suitable for studying the dynamic link between plasma conditions and the material response without requiring access to the interior of the device. The ultimate goal of the diagnostic is to routinely measure large fractions of the interior surface in between each plasma discharge, enabling a global understanding of material behavior in fusion systems and providing crucial experimental data for computational models of plasmamaterial interactions.
The diagnostic design makes it possible to incorporate into existing fusion facilities with minimal modifications to the fusion device itself. This could allow widespread adoption of such instrumentation as the "standard" materials diagnostic for magnetic fusion devices. Perhaps more importantly, the MIT team has demonstrated that IBA of materials can be performed in extremely unfavorable environments outside of dedicated facilities.
The technique could be deployed to monitor materials in situations where traditional instrumentation does not work or cannot survive, such as in hazardous nuclear or highvacuum environments.
Abstract: NI3.00003 The in-situ diagnosis of plasma-wall interactions on magnetic fusion devices with accelerators, Session NI3: Technology and Fundamental Plasma Physics
9:30 AM-12:30 PM, Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Room: Plaza F
Provided by American Physical Society


Factsheets and FAQs
Polonium-210 (Po-210) is a radioactive element that occurs naturally and is present in the environment at extremely low concentrations.
Polonium was discovered by Marie Sklodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie in 1898 and was named after Marie's native land of Poland (Latin: Polonia). This element was the first one discovered by them while they were investigating the cause of pitchblende radioactivity.
It is a fairly volatile (50% is vaporized in air in 45 hours at 55°C) silvery-grey soft metal.
Po-210 has a half-life of 138 days. This is the time it takes for the activity to decrease by half due to a process of radioactive decay. Po-210 decays to stable lead-206 by emitting alpha particles, accompanied by very low intensity gamma rays. The majority of the time Po-210 decays by emission of alpha particles only, not by emission of an alpha particle and a gamma ray. Only about one in a 100,000 decays results in the emission of a gamma ray. Alpha spectroscopy is the best method of measuring this isotope.
Being produced during the decay of naturally occurring uranium-238, polonium-210 is widely distributed in small amounts in the earth's crust. Although it can be produced by the chemical processing of uranium ores or minerals, uranium ores contain less than 0.1 mg Po-210 per ton. Because Po-210 is produced from the decay of radon-222 gas, it can be found in the atmosphere from which it is deposited on the earth's surface. Although direct root uptake by plants is generally small, Po-210 can be deposited on broad-leaved vegetables. Deposition from the atmosphere on tobacco leaves results in elevated concentrations of Po-210 in tobacco smoke. There are tiny amounts of Po-210 in our bodies.
Po-210 can be manufactured artificially by irradiating stable bismuth-209 with thermal neutrons resulting in the formation of radioactive Bi-210, which decays (half-life 5 days) into Po-210. Polonium may now be made in milligram amounts in this procedure which uses high neutron fluxes found in nuclear reactors. Only about 100 grams are produced each year, making polonium exceedingly rare.
Po-210 is used in neutron sources (where it is mixed or alloyed with beryllium). It is also used in devices that eliminate static electricity in machinery where it can be caused by processes such as paper rolling, manufacturing sheet plastics, and spinning synthetic fibres. Brushes containing Po-210 are used to remove accumulated dust from photographic films and camera lenses. Static eliminators typically contain from one to tens of GBq of radioactivity.
Po-210 emits so many alpha particles each second that the energy released from one gram is 140 watts, and a capsule containing about half a gram will spontaneously reach a temperature of 500°C. As a result it has been used as a lightweight heat source to power thermoelectric cells in satellites. A Po-210 heat source was also used in each of the Lunokhod rovers deployed on the surface of the Moon, to keep their internal components warm during the lunar nights. However, because of its short half-life Po-210 cannot provide power for long-term space missions and has been phased out of use in this application. Polonium is not subject to IAEA safeguards.
Po-210 is highly radioactive and chemically toxic element. Direct damage occurs from energy absorption into tissues from alpha particles. As an alpha-emitter Po-210 represents a radiation hazard only if taken into the body. It's important to note that alpha particles do not travel very far - no more than a few centimetres in air. They are stopped by a sheet of paper or by the dead layer of outer skin on our bodies. Therefore, external exposure from Po-210 is not a concern and Po-210 does not represent a risk to human health as long as Po-210 remains outside the body. Most traces of it on a person can be eliminated through careful hand-washing and showering.
Po-210 can enter the body through eating and drinking of contaminated food, breathing contaminated air or through a wound. The biological half-time (the time for the level of Po-210 in the body to fall by half) is approximately 50 days. If taken into the body, Po-210 is subsequently excreted, mostly through faeces but some is excreted through urine and other pathways. People who come into contact with a person contaminated by Po-210 will not be at risk unless they ingest or inhale bodily fluids of the contaminated person.


Atomic Bomb Fat Man
Wingspan: 4 inches
Length: 6 inches
The Fat Man Atomic Bomb was the second and last nuclear bomb that was dropped on the Japanese empire to help end WWII. The plane that carried this bomb to its destination was the B-29 named Bockscar. Plutonium 239 was the nuclear fuel used for the explosion which was only the size of a softball but weighed 13.6 pounds. This atomic bomb was 10 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima (Little Boy). Fat Man exploded over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 with an explosive power of 21,000 tons of TNT.
This handcrafted model is painstakingly built from Philippine mahogany by our skilled craftsmen with a wealth of detail and makes a great gift for any veteran, aviation enthusiast or history buff.


SNRIU to Follow SSTC NRS to Implement EDMS
On June 22, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine hosted a visit by representatives of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). The meeting was also attended by experts of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS).
The event involved discussion of the issue important for SNRIU such as enhancement of the regulator’s information security and introduction of the electronic document management system (EDMS) and Knowledge Portal.
The meeting was opened by SNRIU Acting Chairman, Borys Stoliarchuk. He pointed out that enhancement of the SNRIU’s information security is of crucial importance in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety of Ukraine.
“Considering that we have on-site inspectorates at each of the five nuclear power plants in Ukraine and seven regional inspectorates, the introduction of electronic document management system would significantly accelerate the regulator’s activities and save time required to send and approve documents,” noted the Chairman.
Sergiy Kravtsov, Head of the SSTC NRS Information and Technical Department, joined the discussion. He told how SSTC NRS experts introduced the electronic document management system in partnership with the Presidential Administration. “Taking into account that our Center is the only state institution that has ensured successful operation of this EDMS version, has gained extensive experience in this area, and knows the specifics of the SNRIU’s activities, being a technical safety organization for the regulator, I believe that it would be logical to entrust SSTC NRS with EDMS introduction at SNRIU,” he assured.
Oleksandr Ivankov, Head of the SSTC NRS Information and Software and Emergency Response Sector, told about the need to strengthen the SNRIU’s information security and the benefits of introducing the EDMS and Knowledge Portal.
“SNRIU’s information security system needs to be improved. Introduction of a new system is number one priority. An equally important task is to ensure the preservation of information. The introduction of EDMS will allow the original documents to be stored electronically, speed up data processing and provide context-based search in documents,” pointed out Oleksandr Ivankov.
According to Ivankov, the existing document flow at SNRIU is quite extensive. SNRIU annually receives about 11,000 incoming documents and over 9,000 outgoing ones. The SNRIU’s activities are complicated by the fact that it is very problematic to find an electronic document for the past year or the year before last. “The EDMS and Knowledge Portal would resolve this problem,” summed up Oleksandr Ivankov.
Representatives of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) listened to the Ukrainian party and made a decision to provide financial assistance to enhance the SNRIU’s information security and implement the EDMS and Knowledge Portal.
Uatom.org Editorial Board


|Iran`s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is announced to be launched on August 21, 2010|
The long-awaited opening of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was announced to be launched by the Russian Atomic Agency. A spokesman for the agency today the Nuclear Power Plant will come online on August 21st, 2010 and from that moment on it can be called operational. ‘The fuel will be charged in the reactor on August 21. From this moment, Bushehr will be considered a nuclear installation,’ Russia’s Atomic Agency Rosatom spokesman Sergei Novikov said. ‘This can be considered as the physical launch,’ he added. Pictured: Bushehr NPP ; Russian and Iranian workers and engineers at the construction of Nuclear Power Plant in Bushehr.Èñòî÷íèê >>> Kaptilkin Sergey
Author >>> Kaptilkin Sergey >>>
Country >>> Iran >>>
Category >>> Economy & Business >>> Construction & Property >>> Heavy construction >>>
Category >>> Economy & Business >>> Energy >>> Atomic energy >>>
Phone: +7 (495) 737-01-07
© 2003-2007 Quadra Media Ltd. / PhotoXPress. All rights reserved.


Radiochemical procedures were developed for the analysis of plutonium in primary cooling water and in ion-exchange resin. Analyses of cooling-water samples from unit 2 of the Ringhals nuclear power station demonstrated that a major fraction of the plutonium found in the cooling water is associated with panicles. The amounts of plutonium isotopes retained annually in the ion-exchange cleaning system are estimated at 3 MBq of 238Pu and 2 MBq of 239+240Pu and in a mechanical filter the amounts are estimated at 2 MBq of 238Pu and 0.6 MBq of 239+240Pu.
|Place of Publication||Roskilde|
|Publisher||Risø National Laboratory|
|Number of pages||20|
|Publication status||Published - 1992|
|Series||Denmark. Forskningscenter Risoe. Risoe-R|


New York Asks To Be Heard In Vt. Nuke Suit
State Trying Shut Down Indian Point Reactors
The state of New York is asking to be heard in a lawsuit by the state of Vermont against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's issuance of a 20-year license extension to the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
Vermont and the nuclear watchdog group New England Coalition say the NRC improperly approved the license extension because the application by Vermont Yankee and its owner, Entergy Corp., didn't include a certificate indicating the plant wouldn't unduly harm water quality.
The Brattleboro Reformer reports that New York is seeking friend-of-the-court status in the case and is agreeing with Vermont and the Coalition that the license extension was granted improperly.
New York state is also trying to shut the twin Indian Point reactors in Westchester County.


This is a discussion thread for the following file:
Chernobyl - Overlay 1989 photo-plant
On April 25th -26th, 1986 the World's worst nuclear power accident occurred at Chernobyl in the former USSR (now Ukraine). The Chernobyl nuclear power plant located 80 miles north of Kiev had 4 reactors and whilst testing reactor number 4 numerous safety procedures were disregarded. At 1:23am the chain reaction in the reactor became out of control creating explosions and a fireball which blew off the reactor's heavy steel and concrete lid.


Alternate Names : Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy involves the use of radioactive waves to treat certain types of cancer. The therapy can be given with external beams of radiation or brachytherapy. External-beam radiation directs radioactive waves at targeted portions of the body. Brachytherapy involves an implant of radioactive material inside the body.
Radiation affects molecules, proteins, and DNA in cells. The cells become damaged and are unable to function and divide normally. Cancer cells are more susceptible to radiation because they can't repair the damage. Some cancers are considered "radiosensitive" and curable with radiation. Other cancers are resistant to radiation.
Who is a candidate for the procedure?
Because it works so well, radiation is now used in at least half of all individuals with cancer. Many cancers can be cured solely with radiation therapy. These include:
cancer of the cervix
cancer of the larynx
germ cell cancer
Other cancers are treated with radiation to improve symptoms, not to cure the person. These include:
melanoma, which is a skin cancer
The decision to use radiation therapy, and how to use it, depends on a number of factors. Among them are the tissue type and the location and stage of the cancer. The healthcare provider will also consider the person's overall state of health.
Low-energy radiation is also used for a few noncancerous conditions, such as a skin disease known as psoriasis. Total body radiation at low doses is used before bone marrow transplants. It destroys the existing bone marrow and suppresses the immune system.
How is the procedure performed?
Radioactive implants can be placed anywhere inside the body. Implants may use wires or rods that are placed at the site of the tumor. They may contain radioactive cesium, radium, or iridium. The implants can remain in place for several hours to several days. They are removed after the dose of radiation has been delivered. They do not hurt and are not generally noticeable once they are in the body.
Electron beams are low energy. They are often used for skin conditions and cancers. High-energy particles can penetrate deeply and are used for brain or deep solid tumors. Higher doses of radiation are used for radiation-resistant cancers and when there is an intent to cure. Lower doses are used for radiosensitive cancers and to relieve symptoms.
Any form of radiation can be combined with chemotherapy. This combination therapy has more benefits and more side effects. Fluorouracil (5-FU), doxorubicin, hydroxyurea, and cisplatin are examples of radiosensitizing chemotherapy medicines. They make the targeted tissue more susceptible to radiation therapy.
Another form of radiation therapy is radioactive iodine. It is swallowed as a liquid and circulates through the body. It is used to treat thyroid cancer. The radioactivity disappears within a few weeks.
The procedure to deliver external-beam radiation is somewhat similar to giving an X-ray. The person is put into position, and the machine delivers the radiation to the desired area. External-beam therapy involves cobalt and protons or electrons. It is given over several minutes, usually once a day for several weeks. The higher the energy, the deeper into the body the radiation can go.


ENCO was founded in 1994 by former leading experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). From its initiation, ENCO provided its services in the field of nuclear safety, nuclear operation and technical support. Among the clients are operators, regulators, power plant designers/vendors, utilities and international organizations with interest in promoting and assuring the safe and secure utilization of nuclear power and radioactive isotopes for peaceful purposes. ENCO also provides advisory and project management services to international institutions supporting nuclear safety and security improvements in Europe and around the world.
In spite of its growth and expansion of services, ENCO has stayed true to its roots, ensuring that all clients’ needs are met and exceeded on every project regardless of its size or caliber. Today, ENCO is a highly specialized boutique consultancy. These are the factors that make ENCO unique in its insights and offers.


What is Radon
- Element RN222
- Occurs Naturally
- Radioactive Gas
- Comes from the Ground
- Odorless / Colorless
- Unstable - 3.8 Day half-life
- Alpha Radiation (α) - Can Cause Cancer
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive element that enters the atmosphere from the ground. This gas results from the decay of Radium in soil and rock. It is odorless and colorless with a half-life of 3.8 days.
The lung cancer risk from prolonged exposure to elevated levels of radon results from the daughters of radon, Po218 and Po214. These metals can stick to lung tissue and when they decay further, the alpha radiation (α) given off can cause cell damage and altered cell chemistry.
- pCi/L = picoCuries per Liter (Air)
- 1 pCi/L = 2.2 α decays/min
- Alpha radiation (α) is composed of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
- Radium Ra226 --> Radon RN222 --> Polonium Po218 --> Polonium Po214
- Po218 and Po214 are Metals
- stick to lung tissue
- give off α radiation
- can cause cell mutation + chemical change in lungs


Reaction of corroded steel coupons with radionuclides (KM)
PI: Katherine Morris, University of Manchester.
Iron metal is an inherent component within the nuclear fuel cycle and over extended timescales, it will corrode to produce both reducing conditions and a range of iron (II/III) bearing oxides. In radioactive waste storage and disposal steel containers will be used to store a range of wastes which will contain heterogeneous materials and may be grouted. In addition, iron metal or “zero valent iron (ZVI)” is proposed as a treatment for radioactively contaminated land. Here, nanoparticulate ZVI is introduced to the contaminated subsurface and allowed to corrode and react with mobile radionuclides such as U(VI) and Tc(VII). Here, we will explore reaction of U(VI) and Np(V) with corroded steel coupons under a range of solution chemistries to explore: (i) the nature of the corrosion products; (ii) the distribution of radionuclides on the corroded steel surface; and (iii) the relationship between radionuclide distribution and speciation and the different iron corrosion products.


It’s completely natural: using environmental microbes to remove uranium from groundwater
Contamination of soils and groundwater with uranium in the United States poses a significant health risk and will require multiple remediation approaches.
Strategies for remediation of uranium contaminated sites have been researched for decades due to the ancient production of nuclear material in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the drinking water standard for uranium at 0.03 parts per million (ppm). Yet most bioremediation studies are seldom conducted at such low uranium concentrations.
It has been almost 30 years since the discovery that microbial phosphatase activity and organic phosphate substrates could be used as a strategy to reduce uranium transport by precipitating uranium phosphate minerals. A wide range of microbial species have been found to aid this process in laboratory and field studies. However, these studies were all conducted at uranium concentrations greater than 5 ppm and do not represent many contaminating environments with low uranium concentrations (less than 0.5 ppm) and pH (pH less than 5 ) where mineralization is difficult.
In a new study by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the team has shown that uranium phosphate minerals do not form abiotically in solution when concentrations are below 0.25 ppm and that the pH is below 5, unlike previous studies conducted at higher concentrations. concentrations. Instead, they found that bacteria in soils and sediments can facilitate the precipitation of uranium phosphate minerals that do not precipitate abiotically.
“Bacterial surfaces can facilitate precipitation of uranium phosphate minerals under these conditions by providing a local environment that is supersaturated with uranium phosphate minerals, leading to heterogeneous nucleation and mineralization,” said Keith Morrison , LLNL scientist, lead author of the study. research appearing in Environmental Science and Technology. “This microbial-mediated process can reduce uranium concentrations below the EPA drinking water limit. These results should be valuable in guiding future uranium and phosphate microbial remediation strategies, where efforts are focused on uranium concentrations and pH ranges more relevant to the environment. “
Other Livermore scientists involved in the study include Mavrik Zavarin, Annie Kersting, James Begg, Harris Mason, Enrica Balboni, and Yongqin Jiao. The work was funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, in part through a grant from the Office of Science’s Early Career Research Program.


Lava lite dating jaclyn glenn dating sites
Natural crystalline materials contain imperfections: impurity ions, stress dislocations, and other phenomena that disturb the regularity of the electric field that holds the atoms in the crystalline lattice together.These imperfections lead to local humps and dips in the crystalline material's electric potential.Thermoluminescence dating is used for material where radiocarbon dating is not available, like sediments.
In thermoluminescence dating, these long-term traps are used to determine the age of materials: When irradiated crystalline material is again heated or exposed to strong light, the trapped electrons are given sufficient energy to escape.
In the process of recombining with a lattice ion, they lose energy and emit photons (light quanta), detectable in the laboratory.
Optically stimulated luminescence dating is a related measurement method which replaces heating with exposure to intense light.
The sample material is illuminated with a very bright source of green or blue light (for quartz) or infrared light (for potassium feldspars).
The Radiation Dose Rate - the dose accumulated per year-must be determined first.
This is commonly done by measurement of the alpha radioactivity (the uranium and thorium content) and the potassium content (K-40 is a beta and gamma emitter) of the sample material.
Most excited electrons will soon recombine with lattice ions, but some will be trapped, storing part of the energy of the radiation in the form of trapped electric charge (Figure 1).
Depending on the depth of the traps (the energy required to free an electron from them) the storage time of trapped electrons will vary as some traps are sufficiently deep to store charge for hundreds of thousands of years.
Ideally this is assessed by measurements made at the precise findspot over a long period.


There is much concern and confusion in our communities regarding the risk of radiation exposure in the Pacific NW and the possible need to begin taking potassium iodide/iodine to lessen the risk of developing future health problems due to radiation exposure. We have been informed by our federal and state Public Health experts that it is highly unlikely that Oregon citizens will be at risk for radiation exposure from the Japanese nuclear reactor malfunctions and the only people who should take potassium iodide/iodine are those that are within a few miles of the nuclear site. They have also warned us that potassium iodide/iodine can present health risks to pregnant women, women who are nursing and people with diabetes.
We encourage you to share this information with your staff/employees, community partners, family, friends, etc.
Anne Parrott, M.S.
Coordinator: Public Health Preparedness
Columbia County Medical Reserve Corps
Columbia County Push Partner Registry
Columbia County SNS
Columbia Health District - Public Health Authority
Office: 503-397-4651 x2022


TOKYO– For the past few days, I have been traveling with my colleague Charles Digges in the area surrounding the Fukushimi Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan – the site of one of the world’s largest nuclear accidents, which occurred on March 11, 2011. My impressions of this trip have been manifold, and I will try to summarize some of the most prescient ones.
One of the most indelible impressions I carry away from this experience on a professional level is the sheer geographic extent of the accident, as well as how long the fallout will affect the environment and the people who used to live here.
As yet, much of the zone within a radius of 20 kilometers from the nuclear plant remains completely evacuated because of radioactive contamination. In some parts of the zone, locals are allowed to visit their property during daytime, but are not allowed to overnight in their own homes. Nor can they cultivate their land, which previously bore high quality agricultural products.
Instead, decontamination workers now gather contaminated grass, trees and other agricultural materials in large black trash bags, which are deposited at dozens, if not hundreds, of different collection sites for low-level radioactive waste throughout the Fukushima prefecture. This brush cleanup is part of the massive decontamination effort the Japanese government has initiated in an attempt to reduce the impact of the nuclear accident.
Although the Japanese government is investing a great deal of effort into the cleanup process, it remains uncertain as to how the effective the travail actually is.
There are still 160,000 people who were forced to abandon their homes. And a shroud of uncertainty hovers over when, if ever, they will be able to return.
For comparrison, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said that 200,000 people where evacuated from the 30 kilometer radius surrounding Chernobyl, whose 1986 meltdown and explosion has become the benchmark for nuclear accidents ever since.
In an effort to hasten resettlement of the affected area around Fukushima, the Japanese government has said that evacuees can move home when the annual radiation dosage reaches 20 milliseiverts per year.
This contrasts sharply with limits of 1 milliseivert per year for resettlement set by the Ukranian and Belarusan governments following Chernobyl. This disparity of Japanese dose limits, if left to stand, will lead to a relatively high dose load for resettling Fukushima residents that will lead to a gradual increase in cancer statistics in the area.
Uncertainty remains as to the extent that the Fukushima catastrophe has caused an increase in cancer rates in the in the area of the decimated plant. A recently published report by the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) stated that a small increase in cancers – particularly thyroid cancers – should be expected among young people.
But the sample group for this study did not include all who were exposed to radiation during the height of the Fukushima accident.
Absent, for instance, are those who were forcibly evacuated from the 20 kilometer radius around the plant. During our conversations with locals in in Fukushima, it emerged that it took several weeks for the massive evacuation to take place – and the radiation levels in those now-unpolulated areas was relatively high.
The WHO report also excluded some 21,000 workers involved in cleanup in the most radioactive zone.
The 160,000 Fukushima residents who were evacuated because of the radioactive contamination are not only prone to increased risks of cancer, but are also burdened by tremendous psychological stress over the uncertainty of the invisible danger of radiation, and whether it will ever be possible to live a normal life in the familiar settings of their home surroundings.
After this visit, it is clear to me that the people around Fukushima Daiichi will continue to be affected by the accident for many decades into the future. With the added wounds of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that brought about this disaster, the radiation from the Fukushima plant will prevent area residents from living normal lives for many decades to come.
Nils Bøhmer is Bellona’s general manager and nuclear physicist. This is the fourth in a series of reports by Bellona on the second anniversary of the Fukushima disaster written from Japan.


1. “Nuclear weapons are the same as nuclear power reactors.”
There are 2 types of nuclear weapons: atomic and thermonuclear.
Atomic weapons assemble a supercritical mass of uranium with an uncontrolled rate of fission. In order to accomplish such a rate, uranium-235 needs to be enriched to at least 90%. This is far beyond that of natural uranium. Reactor fuel is a combination of uranium-235 enriched to around 5% and uranium-238 makes up the rest of the fuel. This makes using spent fuel in nuclear weapons with a favorable outcome is nearly impossible.
Thermonuclear weapons use both fission and fusion in the same weapon. Obviously, nuclear fusion is an underdeveloped technology, making thermonuclear weapons and nuclear reactors very, very different.
That being said, the rate of reactivity in a reactor is controlled by its moderator and coolant, as well as several control and safety rods that are lowered into the reactor core automatically if any deviation from normal operating conditions occur. These rods can slow the reactor’s chain reaction down significantly or can stop it all together. Once a reaction in a nuclear weapon has started, there’s no going back. These explosions occur within a matter of seconds. Chernobyl’s meltdown has often been used as “proof” that nuclear reactors can explode like nuclear weapons, but explosions in the reactor were the product of a deadly combination of nuclear fuel (soaring temperatures caused fuel claddings to rupture) and coolant, causing the water to violently flash to steam. Even then, this is not a fault of nuclear fission itself.
1. For an atomic weapon to detonate successfully, uranium-235 needs to be enriched to at least 90%. Uranium-235 is fissile, meaning it can sustain a chain reaction.
2. Most nuclear fuel is composed of uranium-235 that is enriched to at most 5% and uranium-238 makes up the rest of it. When the uranium-235 has been depleted, the fuel is no longer usable because only uranium-238 remains. Uranium-238 is fertile (can be fissioned by fast neutrons) but is not fissile (cannot sustain a chain reaction).
3. An uncontrollable nuclear reaction is required for a nuclear weapon to detonate. The rate of fission in nuclear reactors is constantly monitored and controlled with a moderator and control/safety rods. A runaway chain reaction in a reactor isn’t likely to occur unless a loss of coolant accident takes place.


Last steel seam on Wendelstein 7-X closed
Core of fusion device completed / difficult installation stage successfully terminated
The objective of fusion research is to derive energy from fusion of atomic nuclei, just as happens in the sun. To ignite the fusion fire, the hydrogen plasma fuel in a future power plant has to be confined in magnetic fields and heated to temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees. Wendelstein 7-X, the world’s largest fusion device of the stellarator type when completed, is intended to investigate the suitability of this configuration for a power plant. With 70 large superconducting magnet coils in continuous operation it is then to produce a highly stable and thermally insulating magnetic cage confining the plasma.
The ring-shaped device is being installed as five almost structurally identical modules: Each of the five sections of the plasma vessel, along which 14 magnet coils are strung, is enclosed by a steel outer sheath, weighing altogether 120 tons. Assembled like slices of cake on the machine’s foundation, the five modules form a steel ring from which numerous connection ports protrude. These link the apertures of the plasma chamber through the coil region with the outer vessel. Later, measuring instruments, pumps and heating facilities will be affixed here.
The 254th and last port was brazed in between the plasma vessel and outer vessel with millimetre precision on 28 May 2013. The elaborate port installation lasted a good two years. This was preceded by an equally long test phase – “a huge training session” as installation head Dr. Lutz Wegener put it – during which the methods for exact placement and connection of the variously configured ports to the bizarrely shaped plasma vessel were developed. One of the many challenges: As stainless steel inevitably shrinks at the seam when it is brazed, the components are distorted and change position. This had also to be allowed for when brazing the five modules of the device together: Calculations and tests during installation planning had predicted here up to eight millimetres shift per seam, this being intolerable since the ports and the subsequently connected measuring instruments would be looking at the wrong place in the plasma.
The solution: The module to be brazed, exactly monitored by laser tracker measurements, was shifted on sliding bearings about eight millimetres away from its firmly attached component opposite. Then, to prevent anything shifting, several welders began together to close the two brazing gaps of both the plasma chamber and the outer sheath. For the multi-layered seams with a total length of 40 metres the specialists of the MAN Diesel Turbo company took several weeks, during which the heavy module – in keeping with the shrinkage – slowly returned to its initial position in tenths of a millimetre steps. “It is a veritable work of art to guide in the right direction such a big and heavy component during brazing”, states Karsten Liesenberg, who is responsible for the vessel installation concept: “If the laser trackers showed that the module was not being shifted exactly parallel, the brazing crew had to change over to the opposite side of the seam so that the component was again put on the right track”. This precision work was repeated on the other four module boundaries. The ring is meanwhile closed and all five modules are in place with the required two millimetre precision.
Till installation of Wendelstein 7-X is completed in 2014, there are still a few tasks to be done, such as linking the magnets to their power and helium supplies and doing the interior of the plasma vessel. This will be accompanied by provision of the systems for heating the plasma, the supply facilities for electric power and cooling, machine control and finally the numerous measuring instruments for diagnosing the behaviour of the plasma.


Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) Gauge Courses are based on the Western Australian Radiological Council requirements for RSO competency. This course is suitable for those working in the Australian Oil, Gas, Mining, Power and Chemical industries. Successful completion allows employees to apply for gauge user licence and to become a Radiation Safety Officer for your company.
In addition, a Transport Workshop is held during each of the Radiation Safety Officer courses. This includes a number of syndicate and practical exercises that are aimed at securing compliance with the conditions and limitations of Transport.
We can provide a range of Radiation Awareness courses that can be tailored to suit your company’s needs. Our team of certified Radiation Protection Advisers can deliver a portfolio of radiation safety training courses that will enable your employees to:
All of our courses have been developed to provide delegates with the knowledge that they need to be able to supervise others working with sources of ionising radiation.
Radiation safety courses available
Tracerco offer you the widest choice of Radiation Awareness courses, including:
Scheduled Radiation Safety Officer training courses are regularly held at our offices in Malaga, WA. Training can be undertaken from our office or at a location selected by you. For clients with more then 4 participants, classes can be held at a date outside the regular schedule.
We are active within the industries we serve which enables us to share any learning and experience we gain across our customer base. The level of training delivered is consistent for our customers and our own field service engineers alike.


Oct 20, 2010 8:24 AM by Associated Press
Congressional investigators say cancer patients sent home after treatment with radioactive iodine have contaminated hotel rooms and set off alarms on public transportation.
Patients have come into close contact with vulnerable people, including pregnant women and children, and the household trash from their homes has triggered radiation detectors at landfills.
Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Edward Markey says the problem stems from a decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ease requirements that thyroid cancer patients remain in the hospital a few days after swallowing doses of radioactive iodine to shrink their tumors.
The commission is meeting Wednesday to examine the issue.
33 minutes ago


Health Physics Questions and Answers - Question 458
Question 458: Some Part 50 power reactor licensees have developed "weighted" or "effective" derived air concentration (DAC) values for airborne mixtures of radionuclides, on the basis that the mixtures are well known and relatively stable, as demonstrated through periodic analysis of primary sources (e.g., reactor coolant and other process fluids), airborne and removable contamination samples, and waste streams (i.e., 10 CFR 61 analysis). These weighted DACs utilize a known ratio of the readily detectable radionuclides in a mixture to the more-difficult-to-detect radionuclides, to infer the total activity and the DAC fraction of a mixture from gross counting methods (i.e., without having to do isotopic analysis of each and every sample). Given adequate quality control measures, is the use of such "weighted" or "effective" DACs acceptable for posting, survey and monitoring purposes?
Answer: Yes, in general, the "weighted" or "effective" DACs can be used for inferring the total activity and the DAC fraction of a mixture from gross counting methods provided that the method (s) for calculating the "weighted" or "effective" DACs (which are not described in the question) are appropriate, have been validated, and that the uses of these weighted / effective values are not inconsistent with other regulatory requirements, such as 10 CFR 20.1203, 10 CFR 20.1204, 10 CFR 20.1502, 10 CFR 20.1902, and the Footnotes and Note to Appendix B. The DAC values used in the calculation of the "weighted" or "effective" values (and the DAC values used for any other purpose) must be the values listed in Appendix B to Part 20 unless the licensee has obtained approval, under the provisions of 10 CFR 20.1204 (c) (2) or 20.2301, to use other values.
(References: 10 CFR 20.1501, 10 CFR 20.1203, 10 CFR 20.1204, 10 CFR 20.1502, 10 CFR 20.1902, Appendix B)
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Tuesday, December 12, 2017


Cumbria-based specialist systems integrator Delkia has developed a radiometric surveillance system (RSS) in partnership with alarm equipment manufacturer Omniflex. The collaboration comes at a time when nuclear industry customers face increasing scrutiny of their adherence to ALARP principles, and therefore need a reliable, low-cost remote monitoring system to protect their assets and workforce from unintentional radiation exposure.
Nuclear sites must adhere to strict ALARP regulations on the use of field instrumentation for hazardous detection of alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation in the environment. However, current systems can’t relay real-time information from these instruments to the control room and developing hazards may go undetected. Even if hazards are detected, operators must risk the exposure to avoidable dosage uptakes to fix the problem.
To tackle this, specialist systems integrator Delkia has been developing equipment for radiometric surveillance, including associated protection and evacuation systems up to SIL-2 criteria. “Remotely monitoring radiation in a facility brings about huge benefits for employers in the nuclear industry. The problem is, current systems are only pulling out very basic information,” explains Mark Sisson, nuclear relationship manager at Fit For Nuclear accredited company Delkia. “For example, if gamma radiation is detected above a certain threshold, an alarm will sound to trigger an evacuation. Crucially, you have no diagnostic capability. Rectifying the issue might also involve exposing someone to the radiation to diagnose the problem, bringing into question the nonadherence to ALARP principles.
“Using Omniflexeterm M3E hardware, we’ve developed an RSS solution that allows for trend analysis and data monitoring in real-time. The system can both initiate an evacuation and lock down the client’s facility by using audible and visual warning units that are individually rated to SIL-2 level. This is all at an affordable cost, which has removed a common barrier to small scale RSS implementation,” continues Sisson.
Delkia has programmed the remote terminal units to take multiple inputs from activity-in-air and gamma dose rate monitors and bring them into a single consolidated HMI display. Through this, the operators can also carry out predictive maintenance and operational control remotely. Where required, Functional Safety Envelopes can be designed up to SIL-2, depending on the hazard detection equipment utilised and the protection measure to be deployed.
Because Stockport-based Omniflex has honed its telemetry technology over 55 years working in safety-critical industries, it is well-versed in the requirements needed for low cost, flexible and ultra-reliable equipment modules.
“We’ve collaborated with Delkia for many years now. So, when they approached us for robust and reliable data collection and logic control hardware for their RSS, we were more than happy to come aboard,” explains Gary Bradshaw, director at Omniflex UK. “The HMI display outlines a floorplan of the facility. If an abnormal reading is reported from one of the monitors, personnel can be notified immediately via SMS or email so that action can be taken promptly.
“These collaborations combine our experience in software development and systems integration with Omniflex’s extensive knowledge of interfacing to all types of radiation monitors and technical support,” adds Sisson. “In an industry where safety is paramount, partnerships like these create the technology that ultimately protect assets, people and the environment from preventable radiation exposure. Long may it continue.”


SOES3008 Environmental and Engineering Geology
Aims and Objectives
1. To describe the geological problems associated with waste disposal and water supply. 2. To understand the Radon Problems particularly in a UK context. 3. To describe some of the principles of Environmental Law and its relationship to the planning process. 4. To describe the problems of contaminated land, legislation and methods of remediation. 5. To appreciate impacts of contaminated land in a metropolitan context using numerous case studies in Portsmouth 6. To understand the key principles of hydrology and hydrogeology and to use these to understand contaminant hydrology, transport and remediation. 7. To describe natural radioactivity and radioactive processes in an environmental context. 8. To examine the geological controls that produced the Oklo nuclear reactor and its implications for nuclear waste disposal. 9. To understand the environmental radioactivity legacy of the Sellafield site in Cumbria. Specifically, the hydrogeology of the Sellafield site and the consequences of a legacy of radioactive leaks and disposals and future remediation will be addressed. 10. To describe some of the problems associated with the recognition and consequences of the anthropogenic dispersal of radioactive material into the environment
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Understand the principles described above.
- Understand how environmental geology impinges on everyday life.
- Understand the complex issues associated with evaluating and remediating contaminated sites.
- Understand the impact on human health of some key environmental pollutants of geological and anthropogenic origin (e.g. heavy metals from mine wastes, radon emanations, groundwater pollution, radionuclide pollution).
- The link between geological phenomena and public health.
- Strategies for working on multifactorial, multidisciplinary problems.
- How a medium-sized environmental survey might be conducted.
- Sampling natural environments.
- How to present complex scientific information to the public.
The module is concerned with a number of inter-related environmental geological issues that have not been encountered in other courses. Relevant introductory material is presented to ensure that a good understanding of the key issues can be gained by students having a background in any of the environmental sciences (geology, geophysics, Phy Geog, Env Sci) Several of the course topics are inter-related which increases the value of the learning outcomes. Additionally, several aspects introduce information on employability prospects. The course covers problems of urban geology, including water supply and pollution (hydrology and hydrogeology) and waste disposal (landfill and geology, EU Directives). It also includes the impact of metalliferous mining on the environment, aspects of natural and anthropogenic environmental radioactivity, the many issues relating to problems relating to nuclear site operations, incidents, decommissioning, waste discharges to the sea and nuclear waste disposal. The hydrogeology of the highly complex Sellafield nuclear site is used as a case study to consider the interaction of groundwater movements with geochemical dispersion (including radionuclide migration).
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Formal Lectures: (24 x 45 minute Lectures): are concerned with theoretical background and case-studies relating to water resources, waste disposal, engineering, land remediation, radioactivity, environmental geochemistry and health. Approximately 4 Invited speakers make specialist contributions to the course. Practicals: 7 x 3 hour laboratory classes. A wide range of support can be provided for those students who have further or specific learning and teaching needs.
|Practical classes and workshops||20|
|Completion of assessment task||70|
|Total study time||150|
Theory Examination (60%): A 2½ hour written examination Answer 3 Qs out of 6, one from each of three sections. - any topic covered in the course can be expected Section 1: Environmental Geochemistry & Health, Contaminated Land Section Section 2: Hydrogeology, 3: Environmental Radioactivity Credit is given for wider reading and relevant information not given in the lectures. Tests Learning Outcomes 1, 2. Practicals/Assignment (40%): One piece of assessed work (worth 20%) and a mark for a compilation of all Laboratory Exercises (worth 20%). The Laboratory Book is a record of all Laboratory Exercises.
|Theory examination (2.5 hours)||60%|


When will Japan begin building a barrage around the Fukushima waterfront to contain leakage of radiation from the stricken plant, which threatens to poison the oceans and fisheries of the World?At last the Government of Japan has decided to act. It will spend 47 billion yen (US$473 million) to create an ice dam around the Fukushima waterfront to prevent radioactive water continuing to leak into the ocean.
Late, is certainly better than never, although it is difficult to understand why it has taken more than two years to think up a simple temporary solution such as this when, to quote Dr Tatsujiro Suzuki, vice chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission,
I guess if it had just been just an ordinary crisis, in a more or less stable if critical state, we'd have been waiting another decade or two for any kind orf useful action, with a permanent solution indefinitely delayed.
the situation at the nuclear power plant is an "unprecedented crisis" and that it is "getting worse".
He said the plan to freeze the ground around the site was "challenging", and a permanent solution was needed.


Graham T. Allison is the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government and director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He served as assistant secretary of defense for policy and plans at the Department of Defense in the Clinton administration. Allison is the author of "Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe" (2004) and "Avoiding Nuclear Anarchy: Containing the Threat of Loose Russian Nuclear Weapons and Fissile Material" (1996).
Matthew Bunn is a senior research associate and acting executive director of the Project on Managing the Atom at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is an expert on the security of weapons-useable nuclear materials, and served as an adviser to the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Clinton administration.
Daniel Hirsch has studied safety and security issues at university reactors for 27 years. He is the president of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, a Los Angeles-based advocacy group that provides technical and legal assistance to communities near existing or proposed nuclear sites. Hirsch is the former director of the Adlai Stevenson Program on Nuclear Policy at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the 1980s, Hirsch fought to close the nuclear research reactor at University of California, Los Angeles, after he and his students discovered that radioactive gas from the reactor was leaking into the building where he taught. The UCLA reactor was eventually closed.
Ronald E. Timm is a senior consultant for RETA Security Inc., a for-profit company that has analyzed security for the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. As a Department of Energy contractor, Timm has assessed security systems, both at the nation's major nuclear facilities and for the transportation of special nuclear material. For 15 years, he worked at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, where he served as a senior project manager and security engineer.
Roy Zimmerman is the director of nuclear security and incident response at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal agency regulates more than 100 commercial nuclear power plants and 35 research and test reactors, including those located on university campuses. Zimmerman has been with the commission since 1978, and has served as a reactor inspector, division director, and deputy director in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
Fritz Steinhausler is a professor at the Institute of Physics and Biophysics at the University of Salzburg in Austria. A nuclear physicist, he has co-authored several papers on the vulnerability of nuclear reactors to terrorist sabotage. In 2002, Steinhausler collaborated with Stanford University researchers to launch a database that tracks missing, stolen and recovered radioactive material worldwide.