Attendance (14 persons): P.J.Karol (Chairman), V.P.Kolotov (Secretary), H.A.Das, H.Nakahara, P.Benes, H.Gaggeler, J.V.Kratz, E.Steinnes, P.Vitorge, I.Zvara, Carol H.Collins, B.F.Myasoedov, A.Vertes, E.Roth.

Excuses: N. Holden, A.V.R.Reddy, C.Testa, A.R.Ware, N.K.Aras.

Absent: C.Madic, J.R.Barrio, Z.Chai, R.G.Downing,, J.R.Gancedo Ruiz, C.Lee, J.M.Peixoto Cabral, A.Plonka.

 After discussion the following final agenda of the meeting has been accepted. It was mentioned that meeting with Commission VI.1 was planned, as it follows from timetable presented by Secretariat. But unfortunately the meeting was not organized properly (uncorrect timetable, absence of the agenda, etc.), that is why it was decided not to include it to the final agenda.

Discussion

Kolotov has informed members on the main aspects of the current IUPAC policy basing on the official materials received during 1997 (the corresponding summary has been prepared and distributed at the beginning of the meeting). Emphasis was given for the reasons which result from the necessity of the Union to restructure. The suggestions of the Analytical Chemistry Division (ACD) on changing the Division structure were considered.

Karol make introduction concerning new demands on the Commissions activity for the coming period. Taking into account that the main form of the Commission work is preparation of documents important for wide (radio)chemical society it is obviously very significant to make a critical assesment of the current projects, taking into account their correspondence to the science-oriented and mission-oriented goals of the Commission. That is why it was decided to return back to the consideration of these goals, primarily formulated during the last Commission meeting in St.Malo.

During active and fruitful discussion the text has been significantly improved in order to cover the most important and prospective aspects of Commission activity (the Discussion was finished on the next day, when the final version of the text was approved, see below).

3. Consideration of the status of the running projects.

The full list of the Commission’s projects since its foundation in 1983 has been distributed among the participants (completed and running projects).

The situation with the projects is: the Commission initiated 25 projects, among them 8.5 projects are finished (the fraction indicates that some projects consisted of several independent parts), 3 projects were cancelled, 13.5 are formally running (3 of them are really completed), 11 publications were prepared. The distribution of the formally running projects by ‘age’ is given on the Fig.1.

Taking into account that considerable part of the projects have lasted for more than 6 years, it was decided to check carefully the current state and prospects of each project so as to have in the final list only the really important projects having good chance for completion in the reasonable time.

Karol: The project probably has been published already in Radiochimica Acta (at least the information that the paper has passed the first cycle of revision was mentioned few years ago).
Action: Karol should request Adloff about this.
Approved status: Unknown (see Action)

Das: the basic formulation of the text has been prepared,
Steinnes: the number of publications on the subject is very limited, if the co-author does not object the project may be closed.
Approved status: Project should be cancelled.

Karol: Because Zvara leaves Commission (12 years service), the project should be either completed within 6 months or cancelled. After discussion with author, it was decided to avoid some unconviniences for author, to cancel project and reсommend author to publish it elsewhere, due to its importance.
Approved status: Project should be cancelled from the program.

The text of the completed project has been presented. It was decided to assign two reviewers from the Commission membership (Kratz and Zvara).
Approved status: Running project, extended till 1999 (Step 10 of the Standard FlowChart)

The aim of the meeting was to clarify situation about the possibilities of electronic publications of the developing data bases and about the demands of the Publication Committee on the format of preparing documents to ensure their fast appearance on the server. It was found that the only acceptable way at the moment consists in preparation of document in PDF format (Portable Document Format, access via Acrobat Reader program). Preparation of PDF file may be done in two ways: preparation of such file directly (by means of suitable software) or scanning and treatment of the printed document.

Kolotov: in spite of the fact that relational data bases in any original format still can not be put directly on the server, but taking into account that such a possibility will be available later, it would be extremely important to prepare the output data information in the form of relational data bases (e.g.Access format or some other). A relational data base may be considered as a mean for adequate representation of the comprehensive data sets describing different things. It seems that there are no problems for conversion data bases content to PDF format to make data available via Internet.

Das presented two reports dealing with subject of the project: “Release of ¹³⁷Cs from Anoxic Lacustrine Sediment. Measurement and Formulation“ and “Precision and Accuracy of Environmental ¹⁰³Cs Measurements”. It was decided to ask Carol Collins and P.Karol to review the materials (the rest members of the Commission are also asked for the comments). After discussion it was decided to accept the project as a Technical Report from the Commission with publication of the summary on the work done in PAC or Chemistry International after reviewing.
Approved status: the project is completed.

No information has been received from Mr.Madic on the project state (including for the past years). Vitorge: the project is very important because it deals with fundamental chemical problems; the project fully corresponds the Commission direction.
Action: Vitorge should request Madic on the current status of the project and other possible comments.
Approved status: the project should be cancelled this year, if Madic does not have further suggestions (see Action).

Kratz: Due to an overload of administartive duties (chair of the department of chemistry for the last 4 years, carrying throug the project of the new construction of the chemistry building including the complete planning), progress on the project has been slow. Howerever, a complete list of References exists, the layout of the project exists as well as parts of the text. Other parts are still missing. The completion of the project is anticipated for end of March, 1998.
Approved status: Running project, extended till 1999.

Holden has e-mailed the next information: Project has been discussed with Dr.Frans De Corte (Gent, Belgium). He has agreed to participate in the evaluation. If the Commission and the Division agree, work could begin this Fall/Winter with a preliminary first draft report for the next Commission meeting in Summer 1999.
Approved status: Running project, extended till 1999.

Kolotov: the project is running, but not quickly enough. A vast electronic bibliographic data base with comprehensive index covering more than 600 sources has been prepared and analysed. Moreover, this data base will be appended to the printed version of the project. Some parts of the projects are exist in text form: general aspects of low activation materials development and application, low activation steels, vanadium alloys. The expectable time of the project completion is end of 1998.
Approved status: Running project, extended till 1999.

Nakahara: The author of each section has been nominated, but the progress of writing is coming slower than expected. It will need another half a year to finish the project, around the end of March in 1998.
It was decided to assign two reviewers from the Commission membership (C.Collins and Myasoedov) which should prepare their conclusions before the even year meeting.
Approved status: Running project, extended till 1999.

Karol: Because of complete absence of information on the project, which may be related with changing of employment by Mr.Downing, it seems to be reasonable to cancel the project.
Nakahara, Das, C.Collins: marked the importance of the neutron beam technique and suggested to reinitiate a new project on this topic during the next General Assembly. The project should involve persons who can really contribute it.
Action: Nakahara is asked to consider questions how to restart the project, to contact potentially interested persons (from NIST and other organizations).
Approved status: The project should be cancelled.

Vertes: The text of the completed project “Critical Review of Analytical Application of Mossbauer Spectroscopy Illustrated by Mineralogical and Geological Examples” has been presented. Myasoedov and Nakahara were asked to review the presented materials.
Approved status: Running project, extended till 1999. (Step 10 of the Standard FlowChart)

Das: Informed on the work done and presented the text “Determination of the Linear Velocity of Dry Deposition by Measurement of ²¹⁴Pb and ²¹⁴Bi. Formulation, Precision and Acuuracy”.
Gaggeler: Pointed some problems that may be faced during studying of the behaviour of radionuclides of Po, Ru in system air/aerosols.
Gaggeler was asked to review the presented material.

It was decided to consider this project as Commission Technical Report. Information on it (abstract, how to receive, etc.) should be send to IUPAC journal (PAC or Chemistry International) after reviewing.

Approved status: Completed project.

The letter .to Dr.Williams from Prof.Kirchmann (Chairman of RADWASTE-SCOPE project) concerning the arranging of IUPAC representation in the project as well as the general information on this project has been distributed among the members. P.Karol informed about RADWASTE-SCOPE project and delivered some related comments. The project is directed mainly to disposal of military nuclear waste and cleaning of military sites, studying of the sources, pathways, intake and dose reconstruction aspects of contamination, as well as storage and geological aspects.

The necessity of active participation of the Commission in the project was declared; it was decided to assign Myasoedov and Benes as IUPAC’s representatives in this project.

Action: Karol should contact with IUPAC Secretary J.Jost to inform him of this Commission decision concerning observers.

Vitorge: noted that he is involved in IAEA program on compiling of data base concerning behavior of Np, Pu, Tc and other elements in nature. He will request information on the further plans of IAEA concerning investigation of role of organic matter (surface- ground waters, consideration of sorption) that may be sufficiently important for the problem of radioactive wastes storage

Steinnes, Benes, Das, Gaggeler: pointed the importance to increase the interaction with other Commissions, Agencies, etc. working in the directions related with radiochemistry. It was noted that it is important to initiate information interchange with different departments of IAEA (for example, in the fields of isotopes applications, hydrogeology, and others), although it may be quite difficult, because IAEA has its own program and IUPAC’ role in a join collaboration not clear.

But in any case, it was decided to initiate a letter to IAEA, intended for activation of the possible collaboration and information exchange.

Steinnes: Pointed out the importance of studying of different reactions and essence of processes developing in nature applying radioanalytical methods.

Das: Marked the next fields: -critical evaluation of analysis and speciation of mercury; - Rn measurement (soil); - low level counting; - isotope exchange in radioanalytical chemistry; - production of some carrier-free radionuclides.

Gaggeler: Studying of different aspects of thoron emanations seems to be important enough.

Karol: Agreed with Gaggeler. Thoron and Rn problem may be considered as a potential important project (emanation, measurement technique, etc.)

Some list of the possible future projects were generated during the meeting in St.Malo (1996).

Among them is initiation of a project dealing with environmental radioecology. But from the text of minutes of the meeting ICSU-SCOPE, it follows that Prof.Nitsche is involved in other IUPAC “pool” project and consequently, it is hardly possibly to ask him to initiate a radioecological project as it was decided in St.Malo.

In this connection it was decided that two members of Commission selected as IUPAC representatives in SCOPE-RADSITE project (Myasoedov and Benes) should actively participate in this project to find the possible contribution of the Commission. Such contribution may be developed then in the form of new radioecological project.

Karol: unfortunately, the connection with D.Vance on her participation in the quality assurance project was not set. It was decided to reinitialize the efforts.

Kolotov: the principal agreement from F.De Corte on the initiation of the project on critical compilation of k0- and related nuclear data in electronic format has been received. It was decided that the filled PIF (when available) may be distributed among members via e-mail for information and comments.

Benes: Presented justification for initiation of a new project ” Effect of humic substances on the environmental migration of radionuclides”

The project was recommended.

The following text of Mission Statement was accepted (the text in brackets <> intended only for our purposes as nonofficial clarification of the main statement or remark):

The recent changes of the IUPAC policy are well known as are the reasons that caused such change. In this connection, each Division and Commission of the Union was to significantly reconsider the main goals of their activity and ways to reach these goals. Commission V.7 during the recent annual meeting in St.Malo (France) and completed this task in Geneva. Among these are the Mission Statement and Strategic Plan. Included also were numerous suggestions on how to improve the results of Commission operations, to optimize planning and to make the Commission more open for persons and organizations dealing with radiochemistry and nuclear science.

The Commission on Radiochemistry and Nuclear Techniques, being the sole IUPAC unit dealing with problems of radioactivity and nuclear techniques in the widest sense, in addition to expanding its base of effective national representatives, must concentrate its main efforts over the coming several years from within the following directions:

· (fundamental) nuclear and radiochemistry nomenclature, <included at the Division meeting, August 26> data for codification, standardization and quality assurance;

· investigation of natural and artificial radionuclides, including studies of new elements <this includes radioisotope production>

· radioanalytical methods and nuclear techniques for determination and speciation of elements and isotopes in various matrices

· radionuclides in the environment (e.g. determination, speciation, behavior, remediation) <applications>

· amelioration technologies associated with radioactive waste <also including standardization issues, quality assurance, etc.>

· application of radioactivity and nuclear techniques for life sciences <techniques including labeled compounds, use of radiation, etc>

· development and evaluation of nuclear dating <data, procedures, exposure age studies, together with Commission II.1 (isotopic abundances)>

IUPAC Secretariat informed the Commission that two members could be reelected and that two members have reached the permitted term of service (total 12 years):

Three new Titular Members were unanimously elected: Prof.P.Benes, Prof.H.Gaggeler, Prof.J.Kratz (these persons were Associate Members)

IUPAC Secretariat informed that five members should be reelected and two members have reached the permitted term of service (total of 12 years):

 Election of new Associate Members

Five new Associate Members were unanimously elected: Prof.Carol Collins, Prof.A.Vertes, Dr.A.Ware (these persons have served as National Representatives), Prof.F.De Corte (Gent, Belgium), Prof.S.Yates (University of Kentucky).

Two members have reached permitted term of service (total 12 years): Prof.B.F.Myasoedov and Dr.Holden. Due to their high activity and significant impact to the Commission output it was decided to ask Secretariat to make exceptions and to reconfirm them.

The Korean National Committee of Chemists proposed Prof. In Soo Chang as National Representative at the Commission. The candidature has been approved.

Three persons from the current list of NR were not reconfirmed:

As candidatures for the NRs pool the next persons were considered:
Prof.Fedor Macasek (Slovakia), Prof.David Waite (University of NSW, Sidney, Australia). It was decided to ask Prof.Benes (being familiar with the mentioned persons) to ask them on the possibility to be involved in the Commission activity.

V.P.Kolotov- Chairman,

P. Benes - Secretary.

The even year meeting will be held during the 13-th Radiochemical Conference in Marianske Lazny – Jachymov, Czech Republic, 19^th-24^th of April 1998.

The accomodation form may be requested from Organizing Committee. Please, do it now (if your name is not in the list of participants).

Fax: +(420 2) 232 0861, e-mail: radchem98@br.fjfi.cvut.cz,

Internet: http://www.fjfi.cvut.cz/~john/radchem98.html

The agenda of the meeting will be delivered later.

Paul Karol, Chairman

Vladimir Kolotov, Secretary

November, 4, 1997