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Annual Report 2005 - Institute of Radiochemistry

Bernhard, G.; Foerstendorf, H.; Mibus, J.; Richter, A.; Ulrich, K.-U.; (Editors)

The Institute of Radiochemistry (IRC), one of the six institutes of the Forschungszentrum Rossendorf (FZR), performs application-oriented research in the fields of radiochemistry and radioecology. Motivation and background of our research are environmental processes relevant for the installation of nuclear waste repositories, for remediation of uranium mining and milling sites, and for radioactive contaminations caused by nuclear accidents and fallout. Due to their high radiotoxicity and long half-life the actinides are of special interest. Hence our research focuses on the chemical behavior of actinides at the molecular level in order to predict the relevant macroscopic processes in the environment.
Within this framework, special emphasis is on the interface between geological and biological systems.
In the last year our research topics were as follows:
– Aquatic chemistry of actinides
– Actinides in bio-systems
– Interaction of actinides with solid phases
– Reactive transport of actinides
About 60 scientists, technicians and PhD students are employed in the Institute of Radiochemistry.
We have achieved a wide range of new scientific results in the past year, which are presented in this Annual Report. Among them only a few can be highlighted here in this preface. For the first time it was possible to determine uranium speciation in situ in drinking and mineral waters e.g. by a dedicated fluorescence spectrometer at lowest μg/L concentrations. This methodical progress is an important prerequisite to study the uranium toxicity and its dependence on chemical speciation. We were very successful in the determination of formation pathways and structure of various actinide complexes, e.g., the surface complexes of uranium (VI) onto mica and iron hydroxides over a wide range of pH and carbonate concentration. These results contribute to a better understanding of actinide speciation in geo- and bio-systems, especially with respect to the chemical processes on the interfaces.
Studies to the interaction of uranium with biofilms, green algae and bacteria coming from extreme habitats extended our research on the field of bio-systems.
Major progress in the structural analysis of multiple uranium species has been achieved by applying Monte Carlo simulations and iterative transformation factor analysis to EXAFS spectroscopy.
Furthermore, our new radiochemical experimental station at the Free Electron Laser of the Rossendorf accelerator ELBE is now in full operation. We have started first experiments on the uranium and neptunium complexation on selected mineral surfaces.

  • Open Access Logo Wissenschaftlich-Technische Berichte / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf; FZR-443 2006
    ISSN: 1437-322X

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Publ.-Id: 8326