Influence of ionizing irradiation of low power absorbed doses on the antioxidant protection system in rats

Results of long-term research of 131I, 140Ba, 54Mn, 154Eu, 125Sb, 95Zr, 95Nb, 141Ce, 144Ce, 106Ru, 103Ru, 65Zn, 60Co, 110mAg, 90Sr, 134Cs and 137Cs content in freshwater fish of Ukraine after the Chernobyl accident were summing-up. The distribution of these radionuclides in various organs and tissues of fish was studied

Strengthening International Nuclear Forensic Capabilities Through Collaborative Science In Ukraine STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR FORENSIC CAPABILITIES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE SCIENCE IN UKRAINE

ABSTRACT Globally, the production, transport and storage of nuclear materials have led to serious concerns over illegal trafficking of such materials. Ukraine stands at one of the geographical crossroads of such activities, and contains the largest uranium ore reserves in Europe. Moreover, Ukraine retains significant waste from Soviet-era uranium production and enrichment activities, as well as radioactive materials accumulated from the Chernobyl catastrophe. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL), with support through NA-242, has initiated multiple cooperative efforts within Ukraine, engaging some of the best Ukrainian scientists and institutions in nuclear forensic science. Nuclear forensics serves as a vehicle for scientific collaborations between the Ukrainian and United States governments, strengthening the response and core capabilities of Ukraine, who is also taking an active role as the regional leader in nuclear forensics, and additionally contributing to further engagements between respective governments. These collaborations are being supported through the Department of Energy, NA-242 GIPP (Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention) and CBM (Confidence Building Measures) programs, and serve to enhance nuclear forensics capabilities for Ukraine and neighboring countries, as well as in the United States. INTRODUCTION Ukraine stands at a geographical and geopolitical crossroads for illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, possessing the largest uranium ore reserves in Europe, as well as retaining significant waste from Soviet-era uranium production and enrichment activities, and radioactive materials accumulated from the Chernobyl catastrophe. Additionally, Ukraine supports a large uranium mining industry founded on a diverse set of geological settings and employing multiple uranium mining technologies, from open-pit to leach field mining. According to the illicit trafficking database maintained by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [1,2], over the past two decades, more than one thousand cases have been confirmed by States Points of Contact, about 25% of which involved nuclear materials. Interdictions on nuclear materials, including samples consistent with origins in the former Soviet Unio

EuroGeoSurveys geochemical mapping of agricultural and grazing land soil of Europe (GEMAS). Field manual.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), the new European Chemicals Regulation was adopted in December 2006. It came into force on the 1st June 2007. REACH, as well as the pending EU Soil Protection Directive, require additional knowledge about "soil quality" at the European scale. The GEMAS (geochemical mapping of agricultural soils and grazing land of Europe) project aims at providing harmonized geochemical data of arable land and land under permanent grass cover at the continental, European scale. Geological Surveys in 34 European countries, covering an area of 5.6 million km2, have agreed to sample their territory at a sample density of 1 site each, arable land (0-20 cm) and land under permanent grass cover (0-10 cm), per 2500 km2. Sampling will take place during 2008, following a jointly agreed field protocol which is presented in this report. All samples will be prepared in just one laboratory, a strict quality control procedure has been established and all samples will always be jointly analyzed in just one laboratory for any one chemical element/parameter

The EuroGeoSurveys geochemical mapping of agricultural and grazing land soils project (GEMAS) - Evaluation of quality control results of aqua regia extraction analysis.

Rigorous quality control (QC) is one of the keystones to the success of any regional geochemical mapping programme. For the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) GEMAS (Geochemical mapping of agricultural and grazing land soils) project 2211 samples (including field duplicates) of agricultural soil (Ap, Ap-horizon, 0-20 cm) and 2118 samples (including field duplicates) from land under permanent grass cover ("grazing land" - Gr, topsoil 0-10 cm) were collected from a large part of Europe, centrally prepared (air dried, sieved to <2 mm, homogenised and split into sub-samples) and randomised prior to being sent out to contract laboratories. QC consisted of (1) collection of a field duplicate at a rate of 1 in 20 field samples, (2) preparation of two large project standards ("Ap" and "Gr") for insertion between the routine project samples, (3) preparation of an analytical replicate from each field duplicate and (4) randomisation of all samples prior to analysis. Here QC-results covering analysis of 53 chemical elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, Hg, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pd, Pt, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr), following an aqua regia extraction on a 15 g aliquot per sample of both sample materials, are reported. Practical detection limits and precision, as well as the analytical results for the two project standards Ap and Gr are provided for all 53 elements. All analyses were carried out within twenty days at ACME laboratories in Vancouver, Canada. No serious quality problems, other than a few occasional outliers for a number of elements (B, Ca, and Sn) were detected, and the analytical results were accepted after investigating the reasons for these outliers

Geochemistry of European Bottled Waters.

Vengono riportate le concentrazioni di elementi in traccia delle acque minerali dell'Europa acquistate nei punti di vendit

Identification of the co-existence of low total organic carbon contents and low pH values in agricultural soil in north-central Europe using hot spot analysis based on GEMAS project data

Total organic carbon (TOC)contents in agricultural soil are presently receiving increased attention, not only because of their relationship to soil fertility, but also due to the sequestration of organic carbon in soil to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In this research, the spatial patterns of TOC and its relationship with pH at the European scale were studied using hot spot analysis based on the agricultural soil results of the Geochemical Mapping of Agricultural Soil (GEMAS)project. The hot and cold spot maps revealed the overall spatial patterns showing a negative correlation between TOC contents and pH values in European agricultural soil. High TOC contents accompanying low pH values in the north-eastern part of Europe (e.g., Fennoscandia), and low TOC with high pH values in the southern part (e.g., Spain, Italy, Balkan countries). A special feature of co-existence of comparatively low TOC contents and low pH values in north-central Europe was also identified on hot and cold spot analysis maps. It has been found that these patterns are strongly related to the high concentration of SiO 2 (quartz)in the coarse-textured glacial sediments in north-central Europe. The hot spot analysis was effective, therefore, in highlighting the spatial patterns of TOC in European agricultural soil and helpful to identify hidden patterns

U-Th signatures of agricultural soil at the European continental scale (GEMAS): Distribution, weathering patterns and processes controlling their concentrations

Agricultural soil (Ap-horizon, 0–20 cm) samples were collected in Europe (33 countries, 5.6 million km2) as part of the GEMAS (GEochemical Mapping of Agricultural and grazing land Soil) soil-mapping project. The GEMAS survey area includes diverse groups of soil parent materials with varying geological history, a wide range of climate zones, and landscapes. The soil data have been used to provide a general view of U and Th mobility at the continental scale, using aqua regia and MMI® extractions. The U-Th distribution pattern is closely related to the compositional variation of the geological bedrock on which the soil is developed and human impact on the environment has not concealed these genuine geochemical features. Results from both extraction methods (aqua regia and MMI®) used in this study support this general picture. Ternary plots of several soil parameters have been used to evaluate chemical weathering trends. In the aqua regia extraction, some relative Th enrichment-U loss is related to the influence of alkaline and schist bedrocks, due to weathering processes. Whereas U enrichment-Th loss characterizes soils developed on alkaline and mafic bedrock end-members on one hand and calcareous rock, with a concomitant Sc depletion (used as proxy for mafic lithologies), on the other hand. This reflects weathering processes sensu latu, and their role in U retention in related soils. Contrary to that, the large U enrichment relative to Th in the MMI® extraction and the absence of end-member parent material influence explaining the enrichment indicates that lithology is not the cause of such enrichment. Comparison of U and Th to the soil geological parent material evidenced i) higher capability of U to be weathered in soils and higher resistance of Th to weathering processes and its enrichment in soils; and, ii) the MMI® extraction results show a greater affinity of U than Th for the bearing phases like clays and organic matter. The comparison of geological units with U anomalies in agricultural soil at the country scale (France) enables better understanding of U sources in the surficial environment and can be a useful tool in risk assessments