Browsing by Author "Colella, M"

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    ANSTO's emergency prepardness and response capabilities
    (Australiasian Radiation Protection Society, 2012-10-17) Colella, M
    The Australian Nuclear Science 8 Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has a long history of emergency preparedness and response arrangements. These arrangements based on international best practices and accepted by emergency service organisations and government authorities; continue to ensure effective response to possible occurrences, ranging from small local incidents through to the most severe postulated accident. Fortunately, real life radiological or nuclear incidents do not occur often and ANSTO's emergency arrangements include provision for regular exercises to evaluate response and escalation procedures, inter-agency operability, and further improve response capabilities. ANSTO's radiation protection expertise has regularly been called on to provide local, national and international support for a diverse range of radiological emergency preparedness and response activities. The scope of this presentation is to highlight contribution of some of ANSTO's emergency response capabilities to the Australian and international community.
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    Bioterrorism: the effects of biological decontamination on the recovery of electronic evidence
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2011-06-15) Hoile, R; Banos, C; Colella, M; Roux, C
    The investigation of a bioterrorism event will ultimately lead to the collection of vital data from electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones. This project sought to determine the use of gamma irradiation and formaldehyde gas as effective biological decontaminants, and the effect of these methods on the recovery of electronic evidence. Electronic items were contaminated with viable spores and then exposed to both decontaminants. Log values for each matrix were calculated with flash drives recording the highest value of 566 Gy for gamma irradiation and a maximum of 50 min exposure to formaldehyde saw the effective destruction of spores. The results indicate that recovery of data varied based on the decontaminant selected, formaldehyde gas giving the most promising results, with electronic data recovered after the required exposure time. Gamma irradiation proved damaging to electronic circuitry at levels required to render the items safe. The implications to computer intelligence and forensics will be discussed based on the outcomes of these findings. © 2011, Elsevier Ltd.
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    Chemistry and radiation effects of davidite
    (GeoScienceWorld, 2013-10-01) Lumpkin, GR; Blackford, MG; Colella, M
    Davidite (A1−xM21O38) samples from five different geological localities contain approximately 0.2 to 9.5 wt% UO2 (0.02 to 0.65 atoms per formula unit) and <0.1 to 1.3 wt% ThO2 (<0.01 to 0.09 atoms per formula unit). Maximum amounts of other notable cations include 3.7 wt% V2O3, 4.1 wt% Cr2O3, 2.5 wt% Y2O3, 5.6 wt% La2O3, 6.0 wt% Ce2O3, 4.0 wt% MnO, 2.4 wt% ZnO, 2.7 wt% SrO, and 4.9 wt% PbO. As a result of the variation in age and Th-U content, the calculated α decay dose ranges from ~0.2 to 44 × 1016 α/mg (~0.06 to 14.5 dpa). For samples with ages of 275–295 Ma, the critical dose for amorphization based on electron diffraction is ~0.8 × 1016 α/mg. Natural davidite is commonly altered to rutile, ilmenite, titanite, and other minor phases. © 2013, Mineralogical Society of America.
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    Development and evaluation of radiological decontamination procedures for documents, document inks, and latent fingermarks on porous surfaces
    (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010-05) Parkinson, A; Colella, M; Evans, T
    Criminal acts such as an attack utilizing a radiological dispersal device (RDD or dirty bomb), the manufacture of such a device, or the illicit trafficking of radioactive materials would warrant a criminal investigation. This could involve the collection, transportation, and analysis of radiologically contaminated trace evidence. But are law enforcement agencies and forensic scientists capable of dealing with this? This research investigates the decontamination efficacy of two decontamination techniques (chemical and physical) designed for the removal of radiological material from documents of forensic importance. The impact that these procedures have on the development of latent fingermarks and the forensic analysis of the inks on these documents is also studied. It was found that slight changes in the color and chemical composition of a variety of document inks and a destruction of fingermark ridges occurred after chemical decontamination. Physical decontamination had no impact on these parameters. © 2010, Wiley-Blackwell.
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    Dissolution of Synroc in deionised water at 150°C
    (Materials Research Society (MRS)/Cambridge University Press/Springer Nature, 1996-02-15) Smith, KL; Colella, M; Thorogood, GJ; Blackford, MG; Lumpkin, GR; Hart, KP; Prince, KE; Loi, E; Jostsons, A
    Synroc containing 20 wt% simulated high level waste (HLW) was subjected to two sets of leach tests at 150°C where the leachant was and was not replaced during the test (replacement and non-replacement testing). The leachant was a KH-phthalate buffered solution (pH 4.2). Samples were characterised before and after leach testing using SEM, AEM and SIMS. Elemental concentrations in leachates were measured using ICP-MS. In concert with the findings of i) a dissolution study of perovskite in a flowing leachant and ii) a previous Synroc dissolution study (wherein Synroc containing 10 wt% simulated HLW was subjected to periodic replacement, leach testing in deionised water at 150°C), the results of this study show that when the leachant replacement frequency is varied from 7 d to the duration of the test, there is no effect on leach rate or leaching mechanisms. © Materials Research Society 1997
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    Gamma irradiation as a biological decontaminant and its effect on common fingermark detection techniques and DNA profiling.
    (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010-01) Hoile, R; Banos, C; Colella, M; Walsh, SJ; Roux, C
    The use of disease-causing organisms and their toxins against the civilian population has defined bioterrorism and opened forensic science up to the challenges of processing contaminated evidence. This study sought to determine the use of gamma irradiation as an effective biological decontaminant and its effect on the recovery of latent fingermarks from both porous and nonporous items. Test items were contaminated with viable spores marked with latent prints and then decontaminated using a cobalt 60 gamma irradiator. Fingermark detection was the focus with standard methods including 1,2-indanedione, ninhydrin, diazafluoren-9-one, and physical developer used during this study. DNA recovery using 20% Chelex extraction and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was also explored. Gamma irradiation proved effective as a bacterial decontaminant with D-values ranging from 458 to 500 Gy for nonporous items and 797–808 Gy for porous ones. The results demonstrated the successful recovery of latent marks and DNA establishing gamma irradiation as a viable decontamination option. © 2010, Wiley-Blackwell.
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    The impact of alpha-emitting contamination on the handling and analysis of forensic evidence
    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2012-10-16) Evans, T; Toole, K; Brew, DRM; Colella, M
    A nuclear security event, where for example radioactive material is used in a malevolent act or where material is found outside of regulatory control will require an investigation. That investigation may require the collection, handling, and analysis of forensic evidence and hence it is highly likely that some of the physical evidence associated with such an event would have been exposed to radiation and possibly be contaminated with nuclear or other radioactive material. These scenarios present significant challenges to traditional approaches to crime scene investigation and it is well recognised by the international nuclear forensics community for the need to assess the application of existing forensic techniques to radiation-exposed samples and the implementation of procedures for safe and efficient examination of evidence contaminated with radioactive material. Previously, at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s Nuclear Forensics Research Facility the effect of gamma radiation on forensic evidence as well as the impact of decontamination on evidence has been explored. This presentation will report on considerations for handling evidence contaminated with radioactive material and detail the latest developments in evaluating the application of forensic techniques to evidence exposed to, or contaminated with alpha-emitting radionuclides.
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    Interim report task 2: performance testing- task 2.4: natural mineral analog studies performance and chemical characteristics of brannerite in natural systems to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for Contract B345772
    (US Department of Energy (DOE), 2000-04-30) Lumpkin, GR; Colella, M; Leung SHF
    To investigate the long-term alteration behavior of brannerite, we have undertaken a study of 13 natural samples from various geological environments, including granites, granitic pegmatites, quartz veins, and placer deposits. Literature data and U-Th-Pb chemical dating carried out in this work indicate that the samples range in age from approximately 20 Ma to 1580 Ma. Where independent age data or estimates are available for comparison, the U-Th-Pb chemical ages are in reasonable agreement for the younger samples, but the older samples tend to show evidence for Pb loss (up to about 80%), a common feature of metamict Nb, Ta, and Ti oxide minerals. Our results show that many of the samples exhibit only minor alteration, usually within small patches, microfractures, or around the rims of the brannerite crystals. Other samples consist of variable amounts of unaltered and altered brannerite. Heavily altered samples may contain anatase and thorite as fine-grained alteration products. Certain samples exhibited fracturing of the associated rock matrix or mineral phase in the immediate vicinity of the brannerite grains. These fractures contain U bearing material and indicate that some U migrated locally from the source brannerite.
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    Nuclear forensic analysis of an unknown uranium ore concentrate sample seized in a criminal investigation in Australia
    (Elsevier, 2014-07) Keegan, EA; Kristo, MJ; Colella, M; Robel, M; Williams, R; Lindvall, R; Eppich, G; Roberts, SK; Borg, L; Gaffney, AM; Plaue, J; Wong, HKY; Davis, J; Loi, E; Reinhard, MI; Hutcheon, I
    Early in 2009, a state policing agency raided a clandestine drug laboratory in a suburb of a major city in Australia. During the search of the laboratory, a small glass jar labelled “Gamma Source” and containing a green powder was discovered. The powder was radioactive. This paper documents the detailed nuclear forensic analysis undertaken to characterise and identify the material and determine its provenance. Isotopic and impurity content, phase composition, microstructure and other characteristics were measured on the seized sample, and the results were compared with similar material obtained from the suspected source (ore and ore concentrate material). While an extensive range of parameters were measured, the key ‘nuclear forensic signatures’ used to identify the material were the U isotopic composition, Pb and Sr isotope ratios, and the rare earth element pattern. These measurements, in combination with statistical analysis of the elemental and isotopic content of the material against a database of uranium ore concentrates sourced from mines located worldwide, led to the conclusion that the seized material (a uranium ore concentrate of natural isotopic abundance) most likely originated from Mary Kathleen, a former Australian uranium mine. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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    Recovery of latent fingermarks from evidence exposed to ionizing radiation
    (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009-05) Colella, M; Parkinson, A; Evans, T; Lennard, C; Roux, C
    Continual reports of illicit trafficking incidents involving radioactive materials have prompted authorities to consider the likelihood of forensic evidence being exposed to radiation. In this study, we investigated the ability to recover latent fingermark evidence from a variety of substrates that were exposed to ionizing radiation. Fingermarks deposited on common surfaces, including aluminum, glass, office paper, and plastic, were exposed to doses ranging from 1 to 1000 kGy, in an effort to simulate realistic situations where evidence is exposed to significant doses of radiation from sources used in a criminal act. The fingermarks were processed using routine fingermark detection techniques. With the exception of glass and aluminum substrates, radiolysis had a considerable effect on the quality of the developed fingermarks. The damage to ridge characteristics can, in part, be attributed to chemical interactions between the substrate and the components of the fingermark secretions that react with the detection reagents. © 2009, Wiley-Blackwell.