Nuclear research helps safeguard our future: fighting illegal nuclear trafficking & passing on expertise to future generations of scientists
16 October 2003 - 17 October 2003
Germany
But the JRC also manages projects for nuclear waste management, radiation protection, and other nuclear-related activities. The JRC is offering journalists, on 16th & 17th October, a comprehensive media briefing on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Institute for Transuranium Elements. Encompassing expert presentations and a workshop on a range of nuclear research-related themes, on-site visits to unique laboratories, and a meeting with European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin, media will experience firsthand how the JRC provides scientific support for nuclear safety and safeguards policies to protect EU citizens.
The overall media briefing is designed to respond to the particular interests of specialised journalists while focusing on practical research demonstrations.
Here is a sample of whats on offer from development & application to international co-operation and future projects & perspectives:
Safeguarding Nuclear Materials: Protecting the Citizen
Preventing proliferation of nuclear material is a worldwide task shared by the European Commissions Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectorates. They are responsible for implementing safeguards and measures to control the use of nuclear materials within the European Union and worldwide. As a long-time partner ITU continues to provide analytical assistance and expertise on plutonium handling facilities.
The ITU is a key player in the international fight against the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and is, for example, active in training customs officials in Eastern European Countries. Media will be shown how the Institutes Safeguards Analytical Reference Laboratory provides analytical assistance and expertise on plutonium-handling facilities and is developing new high-performance analytical tools for trace analysis i.e. nuclear finger-printing. In the areas of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, illicit waste dumping and environmental impact of radioactive releases, ITU improves the selectivity, sensitivity and accuracy of detection and measurement methods to better identify the origin of the materials.
Actinide User Lab: At the Cutting-Edge
The JRC is at the forefront of providing sound training to scientists in how to work with highly radiated substances, especially scientists those from EU Member States, which lack nuclear installations suitable for training. To ensure the safety of fuel cycle activities, the ITU acts as a reference centre for basic actinide research and is developing a thorough knowledge of the physical, chemical and material properties of actinides. This provides for a solid basis for work on all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Institutes Actinide User Lab, established in 2002, is an international centre open to outside users for specialised studies.
The Minor Actinide Laboratory
Nuclear Waste Management is one of the main priorities of the EURATOM 6th Framework Programme. Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) is a suggested option for reducing the inventory of long-lived nuclear wastes. The aim is to partition - chemically separate - the hazardous elements present in the waste (Neptunium, Curium, Americium, and the Minor Actinides) and then to transmute them, to produce shorter lived or more stable nuclides. As an example of these specific developments, the Minor Actinide Laboratory of ITU is a unique facility for the fabrication of fuels and targets containing minor actinides such as americium and curium.
Radiation Workshop
Ionising radiation can result from human activities such as the nuclear fuel cycle, medical applications and waste storage. In view of the enlargement of the EU, radiation protection is of growing concern. Journalists are thus invited to attend the workshop: Radiation Pro-tection of Environment and Human Health on Thursday 16th October.
Background Information:<br>Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU)<br>The ITU is celebrating 40 years of experience in the nuclear field with a strong science base in its fundamental research on the physics and chemistry of actinides (highly radio-active elements). <br>16th October Workshop: Radiation Protection of Environment and Human Health<br>Ionising radiation can be a result of various human activities. These may involve nuclear weapons, the nuclear fuel cycle, medical applications or waste storage. Radiation Protec-tion of the environment and human health is becoming a stringent issue also in view of the enlargement of the European Union. Accession countries have nuclear facilities that sometimes require upgrading and assistance. Advanced training of nuclear scientists in accession countries is equally important.<br>During the workshop the following issues will be addressed: speciation of radionuclides in the environment and biological cycle, terrestrial and marine radioecology, risk assessment, radiation protection in working environment as well as during positron emission tomography and alpha-immunotherapy for cancer, and implications of ethics in radiation protection.. A strong participation of the candidate countries is expected. <br>Further Information:<br>JRC Information and Public Relations: http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/,Tel(opens in new window): +49 7247 951156; Fax: +49 7247 951591; E-mail: Margit.Roedder@cec.eu.int<br>The programme and the Media registration form are available on the JRC web site - Press room: http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/pressroom <br>
The overall media briefing is designed to respond to the particular interests of specialised journalists while focusing on practical research demonstrations.
Here is a sample of whats on offer from development & application to international co-operation and future projects & perspectives:
Safeguarding Nuclear Materials: Protecting the Citizen
Preventing proliferation of nuclear material is a worldwide task shared by the European Commissions Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectorates. They are responsible for implementing safeguards and measures to control the use of nuclear materials within the European Union and worldwide. As a long-time partner ITU continues to provide analytical assistance and expertise on plutonium handling facilities.
The ITU is a key player in the international fight against the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and is, for example, active in training customs officials in Eastern European Countries. Media will be shown how the Institutes Safeguards Analytical Reference Laboratory provides analytical assistance and expertise on plutonium-handling facilities and is developing new high-performance analytical tools for trace analysis i.e. nuclear finger-printing. In the areas of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, illicit waste dumping and environmental impact of radioactive releases, ITU improves the selectivity, sensitivity and accuracy of detection and measurement methods to better identify the origin of the materials.
Actinide User Lab: At the Cutting-Edge
The JRC is at the forefront of providing sound training to scientists in how to work with highly radiated substances, especially scientists those from EU Member States, which lack nuclear installations suitable for training. To ensure the safety of fuel cycle activities, the ITU acts as a reference centre for basic actinide research and is developing a thorough knowledge of the physical, chemical and material properties of actinides. This provides for a solid basis for work on all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Institutes Actinide User Lab, established in 2002, is an international centre open to outside users for specialised studies.
The Minor Actinide Laboratory
Nuclear Waste Management is one of the main priorities of the EURATOM 6th Framework Programme. Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) is a suggested option for reducing the inventory of long-lived nuclear wastes. The aim is to partition - chemically separate - the hazardous elements present in the waste (Neptunium, Curium, Americium, and the Minor Actinides) and then to transmute them, to produce shorter lived or more stable nuclides. As an example of these specific developments, the Minor Actinide Laboratory of ITU is a unique facility for the fabrication of fuels and targets containing minor actinides such as americium and curium.
Radiation Workshop
Ionising radiation can result from human activities such as the nuclear fuel cycle, medical applications and waste storage. In view of the enlargement of the EU, radiation protection is of growing concern. Journalists are thus invited to attend the workshop: Radiation Pro-tection of Environment and Human Health on Thursday 16th October.
Background Information:<br>Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU)<br>The ITU is celebrating 40 years of experience in the nuclear field with a strong science base in its fundamental research on the physics and chemistry of actinides (highly radio-active elements). <br>16th October Workshop: Radiation Protection of Environment and Human Health<br>Ionising radiation can be a result of various human activities. These may involve nuclear weapons, the nuclear fuel cycle, medical applications or waste storage. Radiation Protec-tion of the environment and human health is becoming a stringent issue also in view of the enlargement of the European Union. Accession countries have nuclear facilities that sometimes require upgrading and assistance. Advanced training of nuclear scientists in accession countries is equally important.<br>During the workshop the following issues will be addressed: speciation of radionuclides in the environment and biological cycle, terrestrial and marine radioecology, risk assessment, radiation protection in working environment as well as during positron emission tomography and alpha-immunotherapy for cancer, and implications of ethics in radiation protection.. A strong participation of the candidate countries is expected. <br>Further Information:<br>JRC Information and Public Relations: http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/,Tel(opens in new window): +49 7247 951156; Fax: +49 7247 951591; E-mail: Margit.Roedder@cec.eu.int<br>The programme and the Media registration form are available on the JRC web site - Press room: http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/pressroom <br>
Keywords
Nuclear Safeguard