Research network for integrated monitoring of radioactivity and environmental stable isotopes along Romanian Danube Basin - DRIM

Finance Agreement no 63/03.10.2005

The main target of this proposed work research is the development of a so-named "informational mechanism" for identifying the radioactivity level for the Danube Romanian hydrological basin ( the investigation will be extended to the main tributaries also) with an emphased care to the two radioisotopes considered to be of primary interest - Tritium and Radiocarbon. The generic name of "informational mechanism" could be practically translated by the defining and setting up of the whole set of necessary parameters for an active measurement of environmental radioactivity and stable isotopes in the mentioned area and by that to develop the adequate database and the correspondent analysis-prediction tool for its progress on long and medium term. Within this "informational mechanism" approach, the proposed radioisotopes and stable isotopes to be used for this investigation have a double action - to improve the knowledge of the concentration activities before and after Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (CANDU type reactor), and therefore to asses the nuclear impact onto environment and to act as environmental tracers required for every isotopic approach. Relating to the proposed investigation area, it must be noticed that Bulgaria final declaration for the starting of building of a new nuclear power plant at Belene, and the near operational time for the second Cernavoda NPP unit, are only two elements which enforce the development of an environmental radioactivity surveying work for all its components, in this area, considered to be of primary and strategic National and European importance. All the resulted activities and conclusions have as a final target the elaboration of a complete evaluation approach for Nuclear Power Plant impact onto environment, but also the development of a risk assessment for transboundary pollution accidents.
The isotopic analysis techniques together to an adequate surveying of environmental radioactivity parameters are already considered as being two essential components for defining of new additional relationships within the environmental assessment models especially for hydrological catchments, and also for the anthropogenic effects prediction patterns. A special care is expected to be done for the stable isotopes and radioisotopes concentrations measurements - ²H, ¹⁸O and ¹³C but also ³H and ¹⁴C which have a double action - as input values for environmental models that make the long and medium terms predictions and a surveying with alarm setting values, taking into account that the last two radioisotopes are currently released by the CANDU nuclear power plant. Moreover, it must be mentioned that such surveying activities are usually developed in other European countries, even for less significant hydrological catchments, but with a special impact for the related bio-system.