Background
Radioactive isotopes of caesium (Cs-134, Cs-135, and Cs-137) were released into the atmosphere during the Chernobyl accident and due to the Nordic fallout, can still be found in the environment. Rapid and reliable measurement of these during and after accidents is essential for the protection of human health. Seaweed in the marine environment can accumulate and concentrate Cs through potassium uptake, as it absorbs nutrients directly from the surrounding water; as fish feed on seaweed, radiocaesium can enter the marine food chain. After the Chernobyl-accident, the marine environment along the Norwegian coast was monitored for artificial radionuclides and this resulted in historical archive of seaweed samples that still exists at IFE. Traditionally, radiocaesium has been measured using gamma spectrometry, however, in the recent years the measurement methods have shifted towards mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS), creating a need to further develop analytical competence in this area.
Your Tasks
- Literature review on Chernobyl-derived radiocaesium in marine environment and its accumulation to seaweed.
- Method development and/or validation for radioceasium measurement using ICP-MS/MS technique.
- Sample preparation and analysis using IFEs historical archive of seaweed samples collected during the Chernobyl accident.
- Result interpretation in terms of environmental transport and behavior of radiocaesium.
What you’ll gain
- Insight into radionuclide transfer in environment and accumulation into biota.
- Hands-on experience working with radioactive materials and radionuclide separation from environmental samples.
- Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of using ICP-MS/MS for radionuclide separation and measurement.
Who is this for?
This project is ideal for students who want to combine radiochemistry, radioecology, analytical method development, and environmental applications. If you want to learn about radionuclide separation and state-of-the-art measurement techniques and gain practical laboratory skills, then this project might be a good fit for you.
Location
Institute for Energy Technology, Environmental Protection and Radiation Safety Department.
Kontaktperson
Dep. Head Ingrid Helen Hauge