Study Tour

How does Germany deal with NORM residues and ensure radiation protection? Ten Vietnamese specialists gained practical insights into this topic during a one-week RENO-TITAN study tour.

The company KRONOS TITAN in Nordenham uses the sulphate process to produce brilliant white titanium dioxide from black ilmenite, a mineral imported from Norway. A key focus of the visit was how much “circular economy” is possible in this process and how environmental considerations can be integrated.

The Asse II mine is a prime example of how Germany deals with challenging legacy issues: due to water ingress, BGE, the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal, is retrieving the radioactive waste stored there in the 1960s and 1970s – a technically and socially demanding project, unique worldwide, that also involves civil society.

How is radioactivity in the environment measured, assessed, and translated into practical measures? A seminar at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences provided an introduction to the fundamentals of radiation protection and the management of naturally occurring radioactivity such as radon. Practical examples from Saxony-Anhalt were presented, along with the contribution of citizen science.

During the visit to the Cröbern central landfill, the group gained an insight into the strictly regulated acceptance, inspection, and safe disposal of NORM residues in compliance with waste management and radiation protection regulations, as well as the dose limit for the public.

In the radionuclide laboratory of Eurofins IAF-Radioökologie, it was demonstrated that Portland cement and geopolymers can effectively and safely immobilize NORM residues from titanium mining.

At the GEOS headquarters in Halsbrücke near Freiberg, the group gained insights into practical methods for the treatment, separation, and recovery of radioactively contaminated materials.

The Vietnamese delegation drew a positive conclusion and took away numerous practical insights into NORM management, radiation measurement, industrial processes, and radiation protection regulations for application in Vietnam.