Environmental impact of an acid-forming alum shale waste rock legacy site in Norway.

Alum shale formations in Scandinavia are generally enriched in uranium (U) and, when exposed to air and water, may produce acidic rock drainage (ARD), releasing potentially harmful elements into the environment. Taraldrud is a legacy site in southeast Norway where approx. 51 000 m of alum shale was deposited in the 1980s-1990s.

Transfer of radionuclides through ecological systems: Lessons learned from 10 years of research within CERAD CoE.

Norway's Centre of Excellence for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD) research programme included studies on transfer of radionuclides in various ecosystems within the context of environmental risk assessment. This article provides highlights from 10 years of research within this topic and summarises lessons learnt from the process. The scope has been extensive, involving laboratory-based experiments, field studies and the implementation of transfer models quantifying radionuclide uptake directly from the surrounding environment and via food chains.

A methodology for the systematic identification of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are present worldwide and under certain circumstances (e.g., human activities) may give radiation exposure to workers, local public or occasional visitors and non-human biota (NHB) of the surrounding ecosystems.

Limited access to oxygen reduces the release of harmful trace elements from submerged alum shale debris.

Construction and mining activities in acid-producing alum shale regions often produce large volumes of crushed rock. Disposal under groundwater level (e.g.