Upgrade of Gamma Spectrometry Facility at the Environmental Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Chicago

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This award will enhance the capability for measurements of short-lived naturally-occurring and anthropogenic radionuclides in environmental materials and their scientific applications in a variety of research projects. Radionuclides of particular interest include members of the 238-U and 232-Th decay series, cosmogenic radionuclides such as 7-Be, and nuclear-weapons fallout radionuclides such as 137-Cs. Precise measurements of these radionuclides at environmental levels are useful in tracing reactions and kinetics of mass transport in geochemical systems. Emphasis will be given to ongoing projects involving multidisciplinary investigations of soil responses to climate change, the behavior of halogenated organic compounds in lake and river sediments, and the behavior of radionuclides in aerosols, soils, and aquifers. In addition, new research areas will be explored in which novel applications of short-lived radionuclides in earth and environmental sciences will be developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers.Few universities in the United States have the capability for training in the precise measurement of environmental radioactivity and its applications in basic research in the earth and environmental sciences. The University of Illinois at Chicago provides this opportunity to one of the most diverse student populations in the nation. Interdisciplinary education and training in environmental radioactivity is valuable not only for basic research by which to better understand our world, but also it is increasingly pertinent to global energy needs and human sustainability. Basic research in nuclear power, a clean and cost-effective energy source, is being revived as part of the nation's strategy for energy independence and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Advances in the technologies of energy extraction, nuclear waste minimization and remediation, and long-term monitored storage will require a new workforce who can apply fundamental knowledge of radioactivity to solve urgent problems in the protection of environmental quality and realistic evaluations of public health risks.