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===Radioactive trace elements===
The '''Norwegian Institute for Air Research''' ({{lang-no|Norsk Institutt for luftforskning}}) or '''NILU''' is one of the leading specialized scientific laboratories in [[Europe]] dealing solely with problems related to [[air pollution]]. NILU has a staff of scientists, engineers and technicians with specialized expertise for working on air pollution problems. The staff do more than two hundred projects annually for [[research council]]s, industries, international banks and local, national and international authorities and organizations. Its director since 2003 is [[Gunnar Jordfald]].


As most [[ore]]s in the Earth's [[Crust (geology)|crust]], coal also contains trace levels of [[uranium]], [[thorium]], and other naturally-occurring [[radioactive]] elements.
== Fields of work ==
NILU the pumbastik was founded in [[1969]] and the institute conducts environmental research with emphasis on the sources of [[air  pollution]] and on [[Atmospheric dispersion modeling|air pollution dispersion]],<ref>{{cite book | author=Turner, D.B. | title=Workbook of atmospheric dispersion estimates: an introduction to dispersion modeling| edition=2nd Edition| publisher=CRC Press | year=1994 | isbn=1-56670-023-X }}  [http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?sku=L1023&parent_id=&pc= www.crcpress.com]</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Beychok, Milton R.|title=[[Fundamentals Of Stack Gas Dispersion]]|edition=4th Edition|publisher=author-published|year=2005|isbn=0-9644588-0-2}} [http://www.air-dispersion.com www.air-dispersion.com]</ref> transport, transformation and [[deposition]]. It is also involved in the assessment of the effects of [[pollution]] on [[ecosystem]]s, [[human health]] and materials. Integrated environmental assessments and optimal abatement strategy planning has been a field of priority during the last few years. [[Assessment]] of transboundary transport of [[air pollutant]]s, [[acid rain]] and global [[air quality]] are important tasks.


A report developed at the [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]] (ORNL) estimated that the amount of coal burned each year in a typical 1000 MW coal-fired power plant contained about 5.2 tonnes of uranium and about 12.8 tonnes of thorium.<ref name=Gabbard>[http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger?] (by Alex Gabbard, [[ORNL]] Review, Summer/Fall 1993, Vol. 26, Nos. 3 and 4.</ref> The basis of ORNL estimate was that the annual coal consumption was 4 Mt and that the coal contained 1.3 ppm of uranium and 3.2 ppm of thorium.
NILU has the responsibility as a national research institution for air pollution in [[Norway]] and is also being used as an international air pollution expert by the [[World Bank]], the [[Asian Development Bank]] and the [[World Health Organization]].


Assuming that all of the uranium and thorium would be emitted into the fly ash and that the electrostatic precipitators would capture and remove 99% of the fly ash, the emissions of radioactive trace elements to the atmosphere from a 1000 MW coal-fired power plant would be 52 kg/yr of uranium and 128 kg/yr of thorium.
NILU has developed an automatic [[surveillance]] program for [[air quality]] in cities and background areas. NILU have specialized in computerized automatic air pollution [[surveillance]], planning and optimal abatement strategy planning. This AirQUIS system is an air pollution management and planning system designed for managers and decision-makers.


The average annual radiation received by a person from all sources (cosmic radiation, ground radiation, food intake, water intake, air intake, air travel, brick or stone or concrete home construction  and miscellaneous other sources) is 360 millirem.<ref name=DOERadiationBasics>[http://www.etec.energy.gov/EIS/Documents/Radiation_Basics_2008-07-22.pdf Radiation Basics] (U.S. DOE website page)</ref> The annual radiation received by persons living within 80 km of a coal-fired power plant is 0.03 millirem.<ref name=DOERadiationBasics/><ref>[http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/calculate.html Calculate Your Radiation Dose] U.S. EPA website page</ref>
== Location ==
NILU's head office is at [[Kjeller]] on the outskirt of [[Oslo]] in Norway. A specialised office for [[Arctic]] related matters is an integrated part of the [[Polar Environmental Centre]] in [[Tromsø]].  


The ORNL report discussed earlier,<ref name=Gabbard/>states that ''All studies of potential health hazards associated with the release of radioactive elements from coal combustion conclude that the perturbation of natural background dose levels is almost negligible'' and a U.S. EPA report<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/ttn/caaa/t3/reports/eurtc1.pdf Study of Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions from Electric Utility Steam Generating Units] (EPA Report EPA-453/R-98-004a, February 1998)</ref> states that the lifetime fatal cancer risk from exposure to [[radionuclide]]s to the vast majority of persons living within 50 km of an electric power plant is estimated to be less than 1×10<sup>-6</sup>.
==References==
{{reflist}}


==See also==


*[[Atmospheric dispersion modeling]]
*[[Compilation of atmospheric dispersion models]]
*[[Czech Hydrometeorological Institute]]
*[[Finnish Meteorological Institute]]
*[[National Center for Atmospheric Research]]
*[[National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark]]
*[[Roadway air dispersion modeling]]
*[[SMHI]]
*[[TA Luft]]
*[[UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee]]
*[[UK Dispersion Modelling Bureau]]
*[[University Corporation for Atmospheric Research]]


{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.nilu.no/index.cfm?lan_id=3 wwww.nilu.no (English edition)]
*[http://www.airquis.com The AirQUIS system]

Revision as of 23:38, 23 December 2008

The Norwegian Institute for Air Research (Template:Lang-no) or NILU is one of the leading specialized scientific laboratories in Europe dealing solely with problems related to air pollution. NILU has a staff of scientists, engineers and technicians with specialized expertise for working on air pollution problems. The staff do more than two hundred projects annually for research councils, industries, international banks and local, national and international authorities and organizations. Its director since 2003 is Gunnar Jordfald.

Fields of work

NILU the pumbastik was founded in 1969 and the institute conducts environmental research with emphasis on the sources of air pollution and on air pollution dispersion,[1][2] transport, transformation and deposition. It is also involved in the assessment of the effects of pollution on ecosystems, human health and materials. Integrated environmental assessments and optimal abatement strategy planning has been a field of priority during the last few years. Assessment of transboundary transport of air pollutants, acid rain and global air quality are important tasks.

NILU has the responsibility as a national research institution for air pollution in Norway and is also being used as an international air pollution expert by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the World Health Organization.

NILU has developed an automatic surveillance program for air quality in cities and background areas. NILU have specialized in computerized automatic air pollution surveillance, planning and optimal abatement strategy planning. This AirQUIS system is an air pollution management and planning system designed for managers and decision-makers.

Location

NILU's head office is at Kjeller on the outskirt of Oslo in Norway. A specialised office for Arctic related matters is an integrated part of the Polar Environmental Centre in Tromsø.

References

  1. ↑ Turner, D.B. (1994). Workbook of atmospheric dispersion estimates: an introduction to dispersion modeling, 2nd Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-023-X.  www.crcpress.com
  2. ↑ Beychok, Milton R. (2005). Fundamentals Of Stack Gas Dispersion, 4th Edition. author-published. ISBN 0-9644588-0-2.  www.air-dispersion.com

See also

External links

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