Das Projekt "14C in speleothems" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Heidelberg, Institut für Umweltphysik durchgeführt. Using the absolute age of speleothem samples from Th/U-dating, we can determine their 14C reservoir age. The 14C reservoir age is controlled mainly by pCO2 in the unsaturated soil zone, the ratio of root respiration (with modern 14C levels) and microbial decomposition of soil organic matter (depleted in 14C due to radioactive decay). The main factors governing soil conditions are soil temperature and precipitation. Hence, variations in the 14C reservoir age provide information on the variability of these two climate variables.
Das Projekt "Behaviour of actinides and other radionuclides that are difficult to measure, in melting of steel" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Kraftwerk Union AG durchgeführt. Objective: various types of contaminated piping, valves, heat exchangers and vessels are removed from nuclear facilities in the course of decommissioning. Depending on their origin, these components are contaminated with various radio nuclides, e.g. alpha-emitters, pure beta-emitters, and gamma-emitters. Unrestricted or otherwise non-hazardous reuse of these components is possible if the residual activity concentrations are below the limits authorised. To achieve this goal, decontamination processes have to be used in general. In many cases, chemical decontamination of large components with complex surface geometry cannot be performed economically. Recycling can be achieved in many cases using melting processes. Thus the non-hazardous reuse of beta-, gamma-contaminated material which accumulated in the course of repairs and refittings of nuclear power plants has been demonstrated by the contractor in co-operation with Siempelkamp Giesserei GmbH und Co, Krefeld. The aim of this research programme is to extend the melt decontamination process to materials which are contaminated with actinides and radio nuclides that are difficult to measure. The distribution of these radio nuclides in the metal and the slag will be determined and direct measuring techniques or representative sampling techniques will be developed. General information: b.1. Literature review related to radio nuclide deposition on components, chemical separation procedures for iron and nickel, basic radio nuclide data and evaluation of authorised activity limits. B.2. Sampling of material and test melts at laboratory scale using well known activity quantities and accompanied by an appropriate measurement programme for original material, metal, slag and off-gas. B.3. Development of direct measuring techniques for alpha emitters in melt and slag, taking into account the alpha-energy of the emitting nuclides and the sample geometry. B.4. Development of measuring techniques for pure beta-emitters, such as c-14 and sr-90, expected to be found in metal and off-gas, and in slag, respectively. B.5. Development of a sampling technique and simple chemical separation procedures for nuclides decaying by electron capture, such as fe-55 and ni-59, emitting weak x-rays which cannot be measured directly. B.6. Large-scale melt in a commercial foundry of alpha-contaminated material to demonstrate the transferability of the laboratory results to industrial scale. B.7. Evaluation of results from both laboratory tests and large-scale tests with respect to alpha-activity distribution in metal, slag and off-gas, the most suitable measuring technique and costs. Achievements: the research work carried out confirmed the expected homogeneous distribution of the radio nuclides selected for the experiments (iron-55 and nickel-63) in the metal ingot, as was already known from the behaviour of cobalt-60. Cobalt-60 radio nuclide may be used as an indicator nuclide for iron-55 and nickel-63 which are both ...