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This paper highlights an experimental model proposed for the management of nuclear materials containing natural uranium and thorium salts, based on technical and legislative methods. The investigated nuclear materials originate from laboratory chemicals with expired validity, having as manufacturers companies specialized in the manufacture of laboratory substances such as: Merck, Chemapol, Sigma Aldrich, Bucharest Reagent. The experimental program refers to several issues of great importance in the waste and environmental management, such as: a) the processing of radioactive substances containing nuclear materials and radioactive waste represented by solid objects contaminated with radionuclides from the radioactive series of U-238 and Th-232; b) gamma dose rate measurement during handling and processing of open sources of ionized radiation; c) measurement of suspicious contamination of the operating personnel which handles the equipment, including the materials used in the processing of open sources of ionizing radiation; and d) the inventory of nuclear materials according to the chemical formula, the mass of chemical substance, the mass of the nuclear element in each container and type of packaging. For the good development of processing these open sources of ionizing radiation containing nuclear materials, the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) was applied, which is fundamental to the principles of radiation protection. All the measurements for determining the gamma dose rate and suspicious contamination were performed with the aid of a CoMo 170 radiometric device produced by Nuvia Instruments Gmbh Germany, equipped with a 170x100 mm2 PL detector with zinc sulfide calibrated with the aid of C-14, Co-60, Cs-137, U-238 and Am-241 radioactive isotopes and an external probe containing a scintillating crystal with sodium iodide enriched with thallium calibrated with Cs-137. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements for gross alpha and gross beta activity represent the first step in the radiological characterization of drinking water. In this study it was determined the level of gross alpha and gross beta activity for the drinking water in Galati, Romania. 318 samples were collected during 2013 and 2014 from all the waterworks in Galati. In 2013 the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity ranged from 6.0 to 75.8 mBq L-1, and from 25.0 to 386.2 mBq L-1, respectively, while in 2014 the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity ranged from 6.0 to 85.2 mBq L-1, and 25.0 to 434.8 mBq L-1, respectively. Associating the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity with 210Po and 228Ra radionuclides, which are the most radiotoxic alpha and beta emitters, the annual effective dose due to water ingestion was calculated. The annual effective dose for adults ranged from 0.005 to 0.074 mSv y-1, and from 0.055 to 0.218 mSv y-1, associated with 210Po and 228Ra, respectively. These values were compared to the recommended value by the World Health Organization for annual effective dose (0.1 mSv y-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents some results obtained for complex matrices with different uses in industry, environment and health (steels, metallurgical slag, lithium nitride) after irradiation with radioisotope X-ray primary beams and electron beams and recording of corresponding energy dispersive X-ray spectra. Characteristic X-ray spectra highlight the presence of major and trace elements in the multi-elemental samples, such as As, Ga, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Fe, Co, Pb and Zn in energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF ) and C, O, S, P, Si, Ca, Na, K, La, Ce, Nd, Ga, Mo, Pr, Rh, Sm, Sn, Mg, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, As and Zn in scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). Extension of the work will be done employing SEM-EDX for impurity analysis in selected samples of Li-N and B-N systems synthesized at different pressures, within the Romanian-Russian joint project JINR Dubna between Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) of Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR) at Dubna, Russia, and Physics Division within the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galati. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]