A wide range of radionuclide tracers have been successfully applied at the GTS since the building of the laboratory. In Phase V at the GTS, two projects used radionuclides as tracers. These were the Hyperalkaline Plume in Fractured rock (HPF section, Phase V) and the Colloid and Radionuclide Retardation project (CRR section, Phase V). The CRR project is complete and the final reports are due for publication soon, whereas the HPF project is in the sample analysis stage.

To date all work has been carried out safely, all wastes have been dealt with according to HSK regulations and no doses above the natural background have been received by the workers.

Currently, the Long Term Diffusion (LTD) project utilises a range of radioactive tracers in the various work packages (WP 1, WP 2 and WP 4).

After the success of the on site analysis during the HPF experiment, a new Radiation Controlled Zone has been established in the Central Facility of the GTS. The Level C laboratory is licensed up to the end of GTS Phase VI (in 2013) and provides a great deal of flexibility for the experiments. Preliminary post-mortem analysis of excavated rock material can now be carried out at the GTS.

Pb shields for exposure of Imaging Plates for autoradiography

The BAS 1800i scanner for beta autoradiography

Gamma spectrometer for determination of radionuclide concentration in various sample geometry

Want to know more ?

Please e-mail Dr. Fritz van Dorp (responsible for radiation protection at the Grimsel Test Site):

Vdf@nagra.ch

Links for radiation protection.

http://www.hsk.ch/
Hauptabteilung für die Sicherheit der Kernanlagen/Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate. These are our regulators. (German, French or English)

http://www.iaea.org
The International Atomic Energy Authority

http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation
Some good general information on radiation

http://www.icrp.org/
The International Commision for Radiation Protection.