Minutes96

Minutes of the meeting of Commission V.7
(Radiochemistry and Nuclear Techniques)
during NRC-4 in St.Malo
(September, 10-11, 1996)

Attendance (13 persons): P.Karol (Chairman), V.P.Kolotov (Secretary), H.Nakahara, P.Benes, Z.Chai, H.Gaggeler, J.V.Kratz, I.Zvara, Carol H.Collins, B.F.Myasoedov, C.Testa, A.Vertes, A.R.Ware

Excuses: H.A.Das, N.K.Aras, A.Plonka, N. Holden

Absent: C.Madic, J.R.Barrio, R.G.Downing, E.Steinnes, P.Vitorge, J.R.Gancedo Ruiz, C.Lee, J.M.Peixoto Cabral, A.V.R.Reddy.

Agenda:

1. Welcome and introduction of new members of the Commission, who gave information on their area of expertise and interests

2. Discussion and acceptance of agenda

3. General information concerning future scientific IUPAC policy

4. Discussion and approval of the "Mission Statement" and "Strategic Plan" of the Commission's activity for the near future.

5. Reviewing of the current status of the running projects.

6. Discussion of future projects and general questions concerning Commission activity: membership policy (status of inactive NRs, bringing in Observers, selection of new members), agenda for the next meeting, information exchange within the Commission (use of electronic methods in most cases), etc.

7. Summary of the meeting and its closing.

September, 10

1. All members of the Commission gave brief information on their field of work. Chairman of the Commission welcomed new members of Commission attending the meeting: H.Gaggeler, Z.Chai, C.Testa.

2. The Agenda (draft of which has been distributed in advance) was accepted.

3. Chairman of the Commission gave brief introduction on the current IUPAC policy (the Summary on this subject was distributed among the members of the Commission in advance) and highlighted aspects to be taken into consideration while planning future work.

4. Commission considered the draft of its "Mission Statement" . After discussion the text was approved as modified.

"MISSION STATEMENT "

Commission V.7 is based in the Division of Analytical Chemistry, yet its establishment in 1983 recognises it should have the flexibility to remain interdivisional in its purview. Activities are expected to include support of a variety of needs of radiochemists and radioanalytical practitioners, evaluation of current states of widely-used nuclear and related technologies, generation of critical recommendations and data bases fostering reliability in methods based on radioactivity and other nuclear properties and, in particular, a readiness and willingness to address new international issues of relevance to the Commission's implicit expertise. Spheres of the V.7's special interest that are of international significance to the Union's mission currently include: radioecology (study of artificial and natural radionuclides in the environment, including speciation), radiochemistry related to nuclear power technology from mining through waste (commercial, military, and medical) reprocessing, including [geo]chemical aspects of new technologies of waste storage or disposal, chemical aspects of remediation of the polluted areas, application of isotopes (including radionuclides) in chemical and biomedical investigations, certain aspects of radiation effects, and application of nuclear techniques.

Then Commission started consideration of the draft of a "Strategic Plan". The discussion was not finished and was postponed for the next day.

September, 11

4 (continued). As a result of thorough active discussion the final text (see below) of the Strategic Plan of the Commission activity for the 3-5 coming years has been approved.

STRATEGIC PLAN

Commission on Radiochemistry and Nuclear Techniques, the sole IUPAC subdivision dealing with problems of radioactivity and nuclear techniques in the widest sense, proposed to concentrate its efforts over the next several years on:

(i) (fundamental) nuclear and radiochemistry data for codification and standardization,

(ii) radiochemical analysis of environmental pollutants,

(iii) investigation of natural and artificial radionuclides,

(iv) amelioration technologies associated with energy production,

(v) application of radioactivity in life sciences,

(vi) radioanalytical methods and nuclear techniques for determination and speciation of trace elements in various matrices,

(vii) nuclear chronology,

(viii) expansion of effective national representation.

5. Status of the current projects

N	Number	Title	Coordinator	Completion Date	Status
1	570/7/89	Speciation of Trace Elements in the Environment by Radioanalytical Methods: Part1. Chem.Behaviour of Matter at Very Low Concentration Part4. Use of Radiotracers in Speciation	J.P.Adloff H.A.Das	1996	Part2- published Part3- cancelled Part4: No progress
2	570/8/89	Gas Thermochromatography and Volatilization Techniques for Separations in Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry	I.Zvara	1997	Running
3	570/9/89	Critical Evaluation of the Use of Stable Isotope Techniques	E.Roth	1997	Prepared for publication
4	570/12/89	Critical Evaluation of Spontaneous Fission Half-Lives of Ground State Nuclides	N.Holden	1996	No information
5	570/13/89	Nomenclature for Isotopes, Nuclear and Radioanalytical Chemistry	P.Karol	1996	Published
6	570/15/91	Temperature Dependence of the Westcott g-factor for Neutron Reactions in Activation Analysis	N.Holden	1996	No information
7	570/16/91	Release of Cs-137 from Fresh-water and Estuarine Sediments	H.A.Das	1996	No information
8	570/17/93	Actinides(III) and Lantanides(III) Separations in Relation with the Improval of the Management of Nuclear Wastes	C.Madic	1996	No information
9	570/18/93	Critical Evaluation of the Chemical Properties of the Transactinide Elements	J.V.Kratz	1997	Running
10	570/19/93	Critical Evaluation of Resonance Integral for Activation Analysis	N.Holden	1997	No information
11	570/21/93	Low Activation Materials for Fusion Technology: State and Prospects	V.P.Kolotov	1996	Running (1997)
12	570/22/95	Determination of Alpha-emitting Radionuclides in Diet: Review and Evaluation of Analytical Methods for Artificial and Natural Alpha-emitting Nuclides in Food and Human Tissue	N.Nakahara	1996	Running (1997)
13	570/23/95	Analytical Neutron Beam Technique: Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) and Neutron Depth Profiling(NDP)	R.G.Downing	1996	No information
14	570/24/95	Critical Review of Analytical Applications of Mossbauer Effect	A.Vertes	1997	Running
15	570/25/95	Aerodynamics of Radionuclides in Air	H.A.Das	1996	No information

It was decided to clarify the situation with projects having, for at least two years, 'Unknown status' before the next General Assembly. The task is to cancel from the program all 'passive' projects and to concentrate attention of the Commission for the most important directions formulated in Strategic Plan.

6. Discussion of some ideas on the possible future projects (the corresponding Initiation Forms should be ready to General Assembly, August 97, the necessary discussion may be organised via e-mail).

Development of a system of recommendations for quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) of the analytical methods dealing with radioactivity measurements (it may be realised combining efforts of IAEA, US EPA, US DOE, IRI Delft, The Netherlands, Commission on Harmonization...., other organizations). It was decided to communicate with Diane Vance with proposal to lead this project (responsibility of P.Karol)

Compilation of computer data bases containing evaluated nuclear data (decay data, activation cross-sections, etc.) used in radioanalytical methods (collaboration with CODATA is necessary to use their experience on the organization of public accessible data bases). Collaboration of Commission (via Dr.N.Holden perhaps) with IAEA Nuclear Data Section; Frans De Corte and others will be useful. V.P.Kolotov should contact CODATA and Frans De Corte to initiate project on the compilation of evaluated K0-factors needed for comparator NAA.

Important problems of environmental radioecology. The possible project may be directed to consideration of the problems of territories remediation. It was suggested to ask Prof.Nitsche to initiate such project. It was noted (Prof.Benes) that before initiation of a large project it is necessary to prepare its detailed plan to define the structure and possible persons to be involved. Prof.Gaggeler supported the idea and informed us that the field of interest of Prof.Nitsche is radionuclides in atmosphere. Accepted outcome: to ask Prof.Nitsche to prepare plan of the project, distribute it among Commission members and other interested persons, and using the received comments prepare draft of the proposal to be finally considered at General Assembly (Geneve, 1997).

Various:

Taking into account the importance of teaching of radiochemistry, it was decided to ask Executive Committee to approve including observer (or member) from our Commission to Commission on Teaching Chemistry.

It was pointed out that Commission has a large pool of National Representatives, but unfortunately, not all of them are active. It was decided that if the NR doesn't participate in Commission work in any way for two years, the Commission will not reconfirm its membership for the next period. Our understanding is that the following NRs have been inactive: Dr.J.R.Gancedo Ruiz (Spain), Prof. C.Lee (Rep.Korea), Prof.J.M.Peixoto de Cabral (Portugal), it was decided to request these persons for their further plans as NRs of Commission (V.P.Kolotov).

To stimulate the NRs pool into activity it was decided to involve new young persons into Commission through the following mechanism: Commission can propose suitable candidates as NR- send the list to Secretariat- Secretariat request the correspondent NAOs for approving of the candidates. P.Karol, V.P.Kolotov should request Secretariat about possibility of such solution.

The equivalent policy should be carried out with respect to AMs. Request Prof.J.R.Barrio for his further plans, request Secretariat about the status of Prof.Barrio (V.P.Kolotov).
It was decided to use preferably electronic methods for information interchange between Commission members (e-mail) to make such interchange more rapid, convenient and cheaper. We are kindly ask the members of Commission which still has no e-mail to make efforts to get it and were assured by some attendees that this would be done.
To ask IUPAC permission to establish home page of our Commission on the IUPAC's server, in order to have possibilities to put information concerning current activity of Commission on the WWW server. We will ask Publishing Committee to put text of our Mission Statement and Strategic Plan to this home page with request to all radiochemists to make any suggestions on these subjects.
V.P.Kolotov in the nearest time will distribute among the members the full list of the passed projects (from Commission establishment) and valid list of members addresses.
Request IUPAC to make availability of archives to Commissions mandatory by modifying 'Operating Guidelines' of the Division.
Request IUPAC to provide information on IUPAC, including the Blue Book, to all members and representatives in a timely fashion.
Clarify with the Division what is the mechanism on NR appointment/reappointment.

Chairman, P.Karol

Secretary, V.P.Kolotov

November, 23, 1996