The IAEA is launching a new four-year Coordinated Research Project (CRP) to identify novel and innovative low-cost environmental remediation technologies.
A key outcome of the project will be to emphasize the effectiveness of simple remediation approaches and need to prioritize the remediation of contaminated land. The project aims to enhance capability and strengthen the implementation of environmental remediation.
Many Member States have been impacted by radioactive contamination due to past activities, accidents, or as a result of naturally occurring sources that have contaminated the ground. Where contamination poses a risk to people and the environment, monitoring and/or remediation is necessary to break the pathway between the contaminant source and the receptors.
Limited resources are a key obstacle to remediation efforts. Hence, what is needed are safe, simple and sustainable solutions that balance cost, environmental impact, and social needs.
Novel or innovative remediation approaches provide an opportunity to make progress, address risks and enable reuse of land. A key challenge lies in scaling up new approaches to enable full-scale deployment. Hence, the project will focus on collating information and experience for remediation technologies at the demonstration and validation stage at the prototype scale (i.e. TLR[1] 5 to 7).
Overall CRP objectives
- Sustain and strengthen the technological knowledge base of Member States by identifying novel and innovative low-cost remediation technologies that are in the validation or demonstration phase for use on contaminated land.
- Facilitate communication among Member States, enabling knowledge exchange and capacity building to share best practices and address common challenges in environmental remediation.
Specific research objectives
In the context of this CRP, research proposals will be solicited which are related to one or more of the following topics:
- Barriers and cover layers: Managing contaminated materials in situ is often the most sustainable remediation approach. While this method has been used for decades, there is growing recognition of the benefits of using simpler, more cost-effective structures. Research focuses on ensuring material performance, longevity, and minimal maintenance.
- Remote sensing and monitoring: Monitoring (which includes surveillance) is crucial for in situ management to ensure that protective controls are maintained and that the site evolves as expected. Research focuses on advances in remote sensing, including satellites, drones, and ground and water sensors, to enable real-time, cost-effective monitoring.
- Nano-material applications: Nano-materials, such as zero-valent iron and graphene, are effective in isolating, synthesizing, or decomposing contaminants. Since these materials have high sorption capacity, research focuses on the application of these materials for groundwater remediation.
- Passive remediation technologies: Technologies, such as permeable reactive barriers and constructed wetlands, offer cost-effective solutions for treating radioactive contamination in soil and groundwater. Research focuses on optimizing design, materials, and strategies to enhance efficiency.
- Innovative soil amendments: Low-cost soil amendments, such as biochar and zeolites, can improve the immobilization of radioactive contaminants. Research aims to identify the most effective amendments under various conditions for cost-effective remediation.
How to join this CRP
Please submit your Proposal for Research Contract or Agreement by email, no later than 15th November 2024, to the IAEA’s Research Contracts Administration Section, using CRP ID ‘T23016’ and the appropriate template on the CRA web portal. Note that the same template can be used for both research contract and technical contract. The IAEA encourages institutes to involve, to the extent possible, women and young researchers in their proposals.
For further information related to this CRP, potential applicants should use the contact form under the CRP page.
[1] Technology readiness levels (TRL) are a measurement system used to assess the maturity level of a particular technology. TLR 1 to 3 related to lab-based research (e.g. bench scale experiments), TLR 4 to 7 relate to simulated world applications (e.g. prototypes) and TLR 8 to 9 demonstrate full scale applications.
