Open Access

Compared to the designated European upper reference level of 300 Bq/m³ for indoor radon concentrations, the contribution of building materials appears to be low. Taking into account the recommended limit of 100 Bq/m³ by WHO as well as the increased dose conversion factor, the contribution of building products is quite relevant, especially at low air change rates. Therefore in Germany a maximum contribution of building materials to the indoor radon concentration of 20 Bq/m³ is discussed. Because measurements of low concentrations are associated with high uncertainties, radon exhalation rates are often determined in chambers without air exchange and indoor conditions are extrapolated. This study investigated the suitability of direct low level radon measurement under simulated indoor conditions with commercially available instruments, based on the preliminary EU standard for the determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from building materials in test chambers. Measurements are possible with a relative uncertainty ranging from 7 to 18%. Four major problems were identified: 1. Detector sensitivity: Two of four instruments were identified to determine low radon concentrations in a sufficiently short measuring time. 2. Thoron discrimination: Thoron was discriminated by aging the sampled air in a hose before the detector. 3. Sampling setup: An external chamber measurement was feasible as long as all main system parts were under slight overpressure. 4. Blank value: For VOC-emission testing ambient air, conditioned by filtration and sorption, is used to generate an air exchange. Regarding radon, this treatment is non-effective. If all instrument background levels have been characterized, the blank value must be measured with a second detector in parallel.

Within the safety concepts of underground disposal sites of nuclear waste, engineered barriers play an important role. As these sealing structures have high demands concerning integrity, we aim at advancing the available construction materials, monitoring, and inspection techniques within the project SealWasteSafe. A specifically developed alkali-activated material is compared to classical salt concrete. A comprehensive multi-sensory monitoring scheme is used at 150-340 l specimens to monitor setting and hardening of both materials. All sensors are demonstrated to resist the highly alkaline environments. Besides cabled and wireless temperature and humidity of the materials, strain variations using fibre optic sensors and acoustic emissions are recorded over periods of at least 28 days, partly for more than eight months. After hardening of the specimens, further nondestructive evaluations using ultrasonic echo and thermographic measurements are conducted. Preliminary results proof the suitability of the tested sensors and clearly highlight differences between the tested materials. Particularly, the newly developed alkali-activated material shows lower acoustic emission activity indicating less cracking activity. Additionally, unique ultrasonic methods will enable better images of potential internal objects and cracks at in-situ sealing structures. A largescale ultrasonic system is optimised to reliably detect objects at a depth exceeding 9 m while still obtaining a good resolution. Modelling studies show the potential of further increasing the distance between individual transducer arrays. Additionally, a new ultrasonic borehole probe using phased arrays allowing for beam focussing is constructed and tested. Laboratory measurements at a halfcylindrical concrete specimen coincide well with the previous modelling. In total, the presented safe materials, detailed monitoring approaches and ultrasonic quality assurance methods will help to obtain safe sealing structures within salt as a host rock. The concepts can partly be transferred to sealing structures in alternative host rocks and will also be valuable for non-nuclear waste repositories.

Compared to the intended EU reference level of 300 Bq m−3 for indoor radon concentrations, the contribution of building materials appears to be low. Considering the recommended limit of 100 Bq m−3 by WHO, their contribution is supposed to be relevant, especially at low air exchange rates. This study as part of a two-part research project investigated the suitability of direct low level 222Rn measurement under simulated indoor conditions with commercial radon monitors and dynamically operated emission test chambers. Active measuring devices based on ionisation or scintillation chambers with 1-σ uncertainties below 8.6% at 20 Bq m−3 were found to be best suitable for a practical test procedure for the determination of radon exhalation rates of building materials. For the measurement of such low concentrations, the knowledge of the accurate device background level is essential.

Die Varroose gilt weltweit als eine der bedeutendsten Erkrankungen der westlichen Honigbiene, Apis mellifera. Verursacht wird sie durch den Ektoparasiten Varroa destructor, der durch Saugen der Hämolymphe und Virenübertragung sowohl die Bienenbrut als auch die adulten Individuen schädigt. Ohne imkerliche Unterstützung gehen betroffene Bienenvölker in der Regel innerhalb von drei Jahren ein. Als bewährte, häufige Behandlung wird flächendeckend 60%ige Ameisensäure (AS) - im Bienenstock appliziert über verschiedene Verdampfungssysteme - eingesetzt. Sie wirkt als einziger zugelassener Stoff gegen die Varroamilbe auch in die verdeckelte Brut hinein und birgt kein Risiko der Resistenzentwicklung. Allerdings ist das therapeutische Fenster, der Bereich zwischen Milbenabtötung und Bienenschädigung, relativ schmal und die tatsächliche AS-Konzentration im Bienenstock stark abhängig von äußeren Einflussfaktoren, wie Temperatur, Luftfeuchte oder Applikationsart. Eine Bestimmung der exakten AS-Konzentration im Bienenstock ist also notwendig, um einerseits das Wirkungsoptimum zu bestimmen und andererseits bei Übersteigen der Maximalkonzentrationen mit Folge-Schädigung der Bienen, ein rechtzeitiges Eingreifen der Imker zu ermöglichen.