RAD320 Radionuclide Transport and Fate in the Environment

The course provides students with the fundamental concepts of radioecology and an overview of sources, transport, mobility, fate and impact of radioactive substances in various ecosystems. The course aims to showcase the highly multidisciplinary nature of radioecological research and is intended to be open to students with a wide educational background. The course will give them the competence needed to be able to assess the fate of radionuclides in the environment and the entailing risks of ionizing radiation to man and recipient ecosystems. Contents cover:

1. Overview of the sources, behavior, and transport of radionuclides in the environment; Historical perspective of environmental radioactivity; summary of the main chemical, physical and biological processes associated with the mobility and transport of radionuclides in the environment; radionuclide speciation.
2. Introduction to environmental transport models: Atmosphere (SNAP), catchment (INCA-RAD), hydrogeochemical (PHREEQC, FEFLOW), marine (OpenDrift).
3. Transfer of radionuclides to biota and humans; Application of transfer and dose assessment models (ERICA Tool); Radiological risk; Introductio to Nuclear preparedness and Decision Support Systems (ARGOS).

Knowledge: The student is expected to have an overview of radioecology and insight in sources of radioactivity, radionuclide speciation, mobility and transport in various ecosystems, biological uptake, effects of ionizing radiation in humans and the environments as well as impact and consequence assessments and counter measure methodology associated with radioactive fallout. The students are expected to be able to objectively assess risks associated with ionising radiation from different sources. This course will focus particularly on providing the students a general knowledge of the behaviour of radionuclides in environmental compartments relevant to D&ER projects (i.e. soil and groundwater)

Skills: The student will be able to define and enunciate the various existing or potential sources of radionuclide contamination in the environment, source terms and release scenarios related to major nuclear events as well as the ensuing environmental transport. Students will also be able to estimate transfer of radionuclides as well as exposure and doses of ionizing radiation to biota including humans and to make simple assessments of the potential associated biological effects and risks.

General competence: The student is to hold a competence that enables him/her to contribute to national nuclear preparedness and nuclear decommissioning activities associated with existing or potential radionuclide contamination of the environment. The students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the behaviour of radionuclides in the environment in a multidisciplinary context. They will learn how to apply critical thinking to the evaluation of case-studies, building on lessons learned from past experience. They will also achieve experience in presenting and discussing technical and scientific work, orally and in writing.