ANSTO Publications Online

Welcome to the ANSTO Institutional Repository known as APO.

The APO database has been migrated to version 7.5. The functionality has changed, but the content remains the same.

ANSTO Publications Online is a digital repository for publications authored by ANSTO staff since 2007. The Repository also contains ANSTO Publications, such as Reports and Promotional Material. ANSTO publications prior to 2007 continue to be added progressively as they are in identified in the library. ANSTO authors can be identified under a single point of entry within the database. The citation is as it appears on the item, even with incorrect spelling, which is marked by (sic) or with additional notes in the description field.

If items are only held in hardcopy in the ANSTO Library collection notes are being added to the item to identify the Dewey Call number: as DDC followed by the number.

APO will be integrated with the Research Information System which is currently being implemented at ANSTO. The flow on effect will be permission to publish, which should allow pre-prints and post prints to be added where content is locked behind a paywall. To determine which version can be added to APO authors should check Sherpa Romeo. ANSTO research is increasingly being published in open access due mainly to the Council of Australian University Librarians read and publish agreements, and some direct publisher agreements with our organisation. In addition, open access items are also facilitated through collaboration and open access agreements with overseas authors such as Plan S.

ANSTO authors are encouraged to use a CC-BY licence when publishing open access. Statistics have been returned to the database and are now visible to users to show item usage and where this usage is coming from.

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Efficiency enhancements to Monte Carlo simulation of heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis spectra
(Elsevier, 2002-05) Franich, RD; Johnston, PN; Bubb, IF; Dytlewski, N; Cohen, DD
Monte Carlo (MC) simulation can be used to simulate heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis spectra, including the broadening and tailing effects of multiple and plural scattering, although it is very costly in terms of computer time. In this work, kinematic relationships and experimental parameters are exploited to implement efficiency improvements in the MC modeling process. For thin films, incident ions that pass through the sample without undergoing a significant scattering event need not be tracked. Ions that might generate a detectable scattered or recoiled ion are predicted by generating, in advance, the impact parameters which will define its path. Light recoiled target atoms may be dealt with in the same way. For heavy atoms, however, the probability of large angle scattering events is so high that the paths of most recoil atoms are dominated by several scattering events with large angular deflections. © 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
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Characterizing concrete corrosion below sewer tidal levels at chemically dosed locations
(Elsevier, 2020-10-15) Taheri, S; Ams, M; Bustamante, H; Vorreiter, L; Bevitt, JJ; Withford, M; Clark, SM
Unexplainable concrete softening below the water line has been observed by Sydney Water in their gravity sewer network, some of which is subjected to corrosion control methods using chemical ferrous chloride (FeCl2) dosing of the wastewater. We applied a combination of physical and chemical tools to determine the properties of the top 20 mm of concrete cores recovered from sewer pipes. These techniques consist of neutron tomographic imaging, scanning electron microscopy, hardness mapping, and pH profiling. Concrete cores were collected from roof (crown), tidal (wall) and below flow regions of gravity sewer pipes of Sydney Water's wastewater system from locations that received no treatment as well as locations dosed with FeCl2. All samples showed a degree of softening of the surface exposed to the sewerage with an associated depletion in calcium concentration and reduced pH in the same regions. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd.
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To leave or not to leave: a tiered assessment of the impacts of scale residue from decommissioned offshore oil and gas infrastructure in Australia
(ICRP, 2025-11-06) MacIntosh, A; Cresswell, T; Koppel, DJ; Hirth, GA; Tinker, R; Dafforn, KA; Chariton, AA; Penrose, B; Langendam, AD
There are a range of potential options for the decommissioning of offshore petroleum infrastructure, including: complete removal; removal of topside infrastructure with subsea infrastructure left in situ; or partial removal or modification of infrastructure. The current decommissioning liability in Australia is estimated to exceed US$40 billion over the next 50 years. This is founded on the base-case regulatory position of complete removal of all infrastructure, with over half the liability occurring in the next 10 years. In Australia, a recently updated decommissioning framework requires that the planning for decommissioning begins from the outset of the project, and plans are matured throughout the life of operations. Successful decommissioning of subsea oil and gas infrastructure requires an effective and safe approach for assessing and managing chemical and radiological residues. Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are ubiquitous in oil and gas reservoirs around the world and may form contamination products including scales and sludges in topside and subsea infrastructure. In situ decommissioning of infrastructure left in the marine environment has many ecological benefits including establishment of artificial reefs, economic benefits from associated fisheries, reduced costs and improved human safety outcomes. However, there may be ecological risks associated with leaving infrastructures in the marine environment that are not well understood. Following a scenario of in situ decommissioning of subsea petroleum infrastructure, marine organisms occupying the exteriors or interiors of production pipelines may have close contact with the scale (metal and radionuclide contaminants). Consequently, radio- and chemo-toxicological effects from the scale could occur respectively. This paper considers the current assessment process for NORM-contamination products in oil and gas systems, recent and emerging Australian research in marine radioecology. Here we demonstrate a tiered approach to assess the ecological impacts of pipeline scale related to decommissioning practices, and identifies key research priorities. This can further aid our understanding of the fate of NORM contaminates in subsea oil and gas systems and guide Australia-specific (expand to other petroleum operating countries) risk assessments for infrastructure decommissioning options. The creation of a tiered assessment will enable industry to optimise decommissioning solutions and allow regulators to set clearer expectations on the requirements for environmental protection.
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Radionuclide uptake mechanisms by native flora in the vicinity of uranium mines in arid South Australia
(ICRP, 2019-11-17) Pandelus, SB; Pring, A; Johansen, MP; Payne, TE; Stopic, A; Spooner, NA; Kalnins, GAG; Popelka-Filcoff, RS
Environmental risk assessments for radiological impacts follow internationally accepted methods including use of the Environmental Risk from Ionising Contaminants: Assessment and Management (ERICA) tool. Concentration ratios (ratio of radionuclides in an organism to that of its host soil/water- CR) are an essential input for these models. However, the available international input data are primarily from temperate Europe and North America, and may not apply in arid conditions. Previous studies have shown that Australian native species accumulate radionuclides from their environment differently when compared to similar species from other climates. This research aims to develop a concentration ratio dataset relevant for U and Th series radionuclides in arid and semi-arid conditions. Olympic Dam, operated by BHP, is a large copper, uranium, gold and silver producer in South Australia, and utilises underground mining, with the ore being processed on site. To examine radionuclide uptake mechanisms by native flora, samples of flora and adjacent soil have been collected at Olympic Dam. Analyses of flora and soil samples included gamma-ray spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, alpha-particle spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Alternative analytical methods have been incorporated including alpha track analysis for flora samples. Alpha track analysis uses a nuclear emulsion gel layer applied to the individual leaf sample. Analysis of the gel is used to identify radionuclide accumulation and spatially-resolve its location within structures of the leaves. Soil from the surface to 10 cm below the surface was analysed by ICP-MS. Results show a gradient of uranium concentration from 4 ppm at the surface to 0.5 ppm at a depth of 10 cm. The soil depth profile data show that the most probable mechanism of radionuclide transport is airborne and therefore any potential uptake into flora is influenced by the depositional effects on the soil surface. Overall this research provides a better understanding of the behaviour of radionuclides in an arid environment and provides data on the mechanisms of radionuclide uptake in flora. It augments existing international data for use in models in Australia and other localities with similar arid environments.
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Placental element content assessed via synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy identifies low molybdenum concentrations in foetal growth restriction, postdate delivery and stillbirth
(MDPI, 2024-08-03) Foteva, V; Maiti, K; Fisher, JJ; Qiao, Y; Paterson, DJ; Jones, MWM; Smith, R
Placental health and foetal development are dependent upon element homeostasis. Analytical techniques such as mass spectroscopy can provide quantitative data on element concentrations in placental tissue but do not show spatial distribution or co-localisation of elements that may affect placental function. The present study used synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy to elucidate element content and distribution in healthy and pathological placental tissue. The X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) beamline at the Australian Synchrotron was used to image trace metal content of 19 placental sections from healthy term (n = 5, 37–39 weeks), foetal growth-restricted (n = 3, <32 weeks, birth weight <3rd centile), postdate (n = 7, >41 completed weeks), and stillbirth-complicated pregnancies (n = 4, 37–40 weeks). Samples were cryo-sectioned and freeze-dried. The concentration and distribution of fourteen elements were detected in all samples: arsenic, bromine, calcium, chlorine, copper, iron, molybdenum, phosphorous, potassium, rubidium, selenium, strontium, sulphur, and zinc. The elements zinc, calcium, phosphorous, and strontium were significantly increased in stillbirth placental tissue in comparison to healthy-term controls. Strontium, zinc, and calcium were found to co-localise in stillbirth tissue samples, and calcium and strontium concentrations were correlated in all placental groups. Molybdenum was significantly decreased in stillbirth, foetal growth-restricted, and postdate placental tissue in comparison to healthy-term samples (p < 0.0001). Synchrotron-based XFM reveals elemental distribution within biological samples such as the placenta, allowing for the co-localisation of metal deposits that may have a pathological role. Our pilot study further indicates low concentrations of placental molybdenum in pregnancies complicated by foetal growth restriction, postdate delivery, and stillbirth. © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.