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    Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory

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Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory

The Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory (ERL) conducts research on a variety of key, global environmental processes using a suite of stable and radioactive tracers as proxies.

Main areas of research are the evaluation of the role of the oceans as a source/sink of CO2, with special emphasis on Blue Carbon and the determination of accumulation rates using 210Pb; the relevance of submarine groundwater discharge in the biogeochemical cycles of the coastal and open ocean; the impact of fish-trawling in bottom sediments of the continental margins; the radiological consequences of enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials; and the impacts of the releases of artificial radioactivity in the oceans (i.e. nuclear reprocessing plants, Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents).

The analytical capabilities of ERL include radiochemical separation using state-of-the-art techniques and measurement via alpha spectrometry, gamma spectrometry and beta counting. Samples can be analysed for both natural (primordial and cosmogenic) and artificial radionuclides.

The ERL also can also offer consulting services when required, including assessment of radioactive contents in NORM samples.

Contacts:

Prof Pere Masque. E-mail: p.masque@ecu.edu.au. Mobile: +61 (0)458 422 390

Mrs Gloria Salgado. E-mail: g.salgadogispert@ecu.edu.au.

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