A joint research team from France and Quebec is developing a more accurate methodology to prevent human and environmental disasters.
QUEBEC and PARIS, July 6, 2022 – Coastal facilities around the world must be designed to be protected against extreme sea levels. However, according to a team of Quebecois and French researchers from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), and the Université Gustave Eiffel, current estimates of coastal flood risks contain biases. The scientists therefore came up with a methodology that allows historical data to be used more efficiently and optimally. Their work, recently published in the journal
Water Resources Research, may have important implications for risk management, particularly when it comes to the protection of coastal nuclear power plants in several countries.
"The novelty of our work lies in the fact that we can incorporate all available sources of information to create the most accurate estimate of the risk. The methodology we developed also makes it possible to correct the biases of previous tools," explains Laurie Saint Criq, first author of the study, who carried out this work as part of the co-supervised France-Quebec doctorate at IRSN and INRS.
A more precise methodology
Sea levels are characterized by predicted tides and surges. Statistical analyses of the measured data often focus on surges, which are random variables. "The proposed method makes it easier to use record sea levels found in archives, which are absent from the data recorded by tide gauges," says Eric Gaume, head of the Geotechnics Environment and Risks department at the University Gustave Eiffel and co-author of the study.
The study focused on the case of coastal nuclear power plants in France. According to guide no. 13 of the French nuclear safety authority (Authorité de Sûreté Nucléaire), nuclear plants must be protected from sea levels equal to a maximum tidal level (taking into account changes to the average sea level) plus a surge that has a one in 1,000 chance of being exceeded every year, i.e. that can occur on average every 1,000 years. However, at some stations, the recorded data only go back 30 years.
"It is unrealistic to estimate a 1,000-year surge level with only 30 years of data. This is why we are looking to integrate historical data, to increase the observation time," says
Laurie Saint-Criq, a doctoral student at INRS.
Growing risks due to climate change
Taha Ouarda, professor at INRS and Canada Research Chair in Statistical Hydroclimatology, reminds us that with climate change, extreme weather events will intensify and that we have already surpassed the estimated risk threshold, as calculated 20 years ago.
"Our results show that some of the methods and estimates of extreme sea levels that were used when building such major structures were wrong," says Ouarda, co-author of the study.
According to the research team, the proposed methodology will be of great interest to many countries around the world and to several nuclear plants. It could also be used for other types of coastal infrastructure, such as ports or bridges.
Future scientific developments
IRSN researcher Yasser Hamdi emphasizes that
Laurie Saint Criq's thesis work aims at a thorough use of historical data—the subject of the article—but also at a thorough use of the data available in the area around the studied site.
"High surges are caused by storms that, by nature, affect a wide area around the studied site. Therefore, in addition to the time component, there is a geographical component that provides very useful information to define extreme surges," says Yasser Hamdi, co-author of the study.
About the study
The paper ”
Extreme Sea Level Estimation Combining Systematic Observed Skew Surges and Historical Record Sea Levels ,” by Laurie Saint-Criq, Eric Gaume, Yasser Hamdi, and Taha B. M. J. Ouarda, was published on March 2022 in the journal
Water Resources Research. The study was supported by the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN).
About INRS
is a university dedicated exclusively to graduate level research and training. Since its creation in 1969, INRS has played an active role in Québec's economic, social, and cultural development and is ranked first for research intensity in Québec. INRS is made up of four interdisciplinary research and training centres in Québec City, Montréal, Laval, and Varennes, with expertise in strategic sectors:
Eau Terre Environnement,
Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications,
Urbanisation Culture Société, and
Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie. The INRS community includes more than 1,500 students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, and staff.
About IRSN
IRSN is a public institution with industrial and commercial activities (EPIC). IRSN's missions have been consolidated by theAct No. 2015-992 of 17 August 2015 concerning Energy Transition and Green Growth (TECV) - is the national public expert on nuclear and radiological risks. IRSN contributes to public policies in the fields of nuclear safety and ionizing radiation protection for public health and environment. As a research and scientific institution it acts in consultation with all stakeholders concerned by these policies, while preserving its independence of judgment.
IRSN is placed under the joint authority of the Ministers of ecological transition, research, energy, health and defence.
About Université Gustave Eiffel
We are a university created in 2020 based on an innovative threefold model combining a university, schools and a research centre, with the aim of transforming life and cities.
We are the fruit of a shared history that began over 20 years ago between UPEM, IFSTTAR, ESIEE Paris, ENSG, EIVP and EAVT (acronyms at bottom of document). By pooling multiple strengths in the fields of education and research, we create better synergies, thereby offering our different audiences a broader range of skills.
We train young people, employees and citizens at all levels and provide scientific insights to society as a whole and to public policy makers.
We are committed to the theme of sustainable cities and represent, by ourselves, ¼ of French research in this field and contribute to creating a better societal and environmental future.
Contacts:
Julie Robert
INRS Communications and Public Affairs Department
+1 514-971-4747
julie.robert@inrs.ca
Pascale Portes
IRSN Communications Department
+33(0) 1 58 35 70 33
pascale.portes@irsn.fr
Sandrine Diago
Gustave Eiffel Communications Départment
+33(0) 6 25 11 67 61
sandrine.diago@univ-eiffel.fr
Fukushima: Predicting the dispersion and impact of radionuclides. The AMORAD project delivers its conclusions
2022/05/09
The Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011 dispersed a significant amount of radioactive elements into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean. What are the consequences of these releases on the terrestrial and marine environment? This question has guided the AMORAD project during its 9 years of research. This project is now delivering its conclusions.
The objective of the AMORAD program, launched in 2013 and funded by the Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir, was to accurately assess the consequences of an accidental release of radioactive substances on humans and the environment. To do this, the project optimized models for predicting the dispersion of radionuclides in the environment, particularly in the marine environment, in forest ecosystems and at the scale of watersheds, and the assessment of the economic consequences that would be associated with the loss of forest and aquatic resources or the obligations of stopping the supply of drinking water and irrigation.
The work carried out for the marine axis of the project has enabled progress to be made in predicting the dispersion of radionuclide-carrying particles, particularly at the land/sea interface, but also in assessing the transfer to marine organisms, taking into account the entire trophic chain and the vulnerability of territories.
On the continental axis, the project has enabled the acquisition of knowledge on different observation sites (Japanese rivers, forests in Japan, France, and Ukraine) to predict the transfer of radiocaesium after its deposition on the scale of watersheds, the cycle of radionuclides within soil-tree systems, or the contamination of timber. The AMORAD project has also allowed methodological advances ranging from advanced metrological techniques to innovative statistics applied, for example, to the prediction of cesium activities in Japanese rivers.
Finally, the AMORAD project has developed new tools to evaluate the economic impacts of contamination resulting from the loss of certain forest ecosystem services (hunting, gathering), or aquatic services (drinking water, fishing).
More globally, the whole project allows the scientific community to be able to produce more precise evaluations, thanks to different levels of modeling more or less advanced according to the needs and the context, to evaluate a wider range of consequences of a radiological or nuclear accident.
These models can also be used to reinforce the remediation strategies of contaminated areas by helping, for example, in the establishment of priorities for decontamination and the choice of processes.
These achievements were presented during the closing seminar of the AMORAD project, which was held on March 21, 2022 at IRSN. The seminar was led by the 13 project partners, including 5 French universities (Toulouse, Toulon, Bordeaux, Versailles Saint-Quentin, Pau and Pays de l'Adour), one Japanese university (Tsukuba) and 5 EPICs or companies (IFREMER, CEA, ANDRA, BRGM, EDF, CLS).
Research programm
Medical radiation protection: The European MEDIRAD project delivers its recommendations
2022/04/11
Launched in 2017, the research of the MEDIRAD (Implication of MEDedIcal low-dose RADiation exposure) project has resulted in a series of recommendations. They aim to ensure a better quality of life for patients and better protection for healthcare professionals when using ionizing radiation in the medical field for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The European MEDIRAD project, funded under the H2020 EURATOM research program for 5 years and coordinated by ISC Global (Spain) and the University of Paris Descartes, brought together 33 partners from 14 European Member States. It aimed to bring together the scientific and medical communities in the field of research for medical radiation protection and to optimize the use of ionizing radiation in the medical field, in radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, medical imaging and interventional radiology. This project also aimed to promote the links between science, medicine and society, for a better quality of life for patients and better protection for health professionals.
As a major contributor to this project, IRSN participated in MEDIRAD's work in three sectors of application of ionizing radiation in medicine:
- In radiotherapy, where the research work focused on assessing the risks of cardiac toxicity associated with radiotherapy for breast cancer and on optimizing practices. IRSN has thus contributed to :
- To the development of a healthy tissue complication probability model (NTCP) adapted to cardiac toxicity; To the identification of new candidate image biomarkers and molecular biomarkers promising for the identification and personalized follow-up of patients at risk.
- In interventional radiology, where research focused on the radiation protection of healthcare professionals and the optimization of practices, the Institute participated in evaluations of the effectiveness of radiation protection equipment (lens and brain) used by healthcare professionals in interventional radiology services.
- In medical imaging, work focused on assessing the risk of cancer associated with pediatric scans. IRSN has contributed to the implementation of a nested case-control study to investigate the role of predisposing factors, in particular genetic and epigenetic variants, likely to contribute to this risk. This study will be continued beyond the MEDIRAD project.
On the basis of the scientific results produced by the MEDIRAD partners, IRSN coordinated the development of a set of radiation protection recommendations with the support of stakeholders: patient associations, health professional associations, radiation protection authorities, and medical industry.
These recommendations, available in their complete version on the MEDIRAD website, are grouped into 4 major areas:
- Consolidation of "patient" databases at the European level. In particular, it is important to develop (i) standardized methods for data coding, (ii) efficient interfaces, (iii) infrastructures and (iv) quality standards, which are necessary for the collection and secure storage of patient data; these "patient" databases (dose-image) must be linked to "patient" bio-banks to maximize their usefulness.
- Optimization of diagnostic or therapeutic protocols involving irradiation. In particular, it is important to evaluate the dose to the organ for each medical diagnostic procedure using CT scanners.
- Optimization for the radiation protection of patients and medical staff. The importance of deploying quantitative imaging in nuclear medicine departments for standardized use of radio-pharmaceuticals in Europe was emphasized.
- European research avenues for medical radiation protection. The importance of continuing research on the undesirable effects of ionizing radiation on healthy tissue and the definition of a European research strategy for the development of AI applications in medical radiation protection.
47 thesis proposals for 2021!
2020/12/08
This year, IRSN is proposing 47 topics in all scientific disciplines, for PhD theses that will start in October 2021. A full description of each thesis project is available online, in the "Theses" section of the IRSN website, enabling applications to be filed directly with the thesis supervisor.
More than 100 doctoral students work continuously in its laboratories, covering a wide range of scientific disciplines, in innovative areas of physics, biology and social sciences, helping protect the population and the environment from nuclear and radiological risks. Each doctoral student benefits from specific training to master the intricacies of writing a scientific article or dissertation, learn about networking, open access and eco-design practices, familiarize him/herself with good intellectual property practices, or be informed of openness to society.
Every year, doctoral students practice presenting their research work to their peers as part of a four-day residential seminar called "Thesis Days." During this convivial event, doctoral students discuss and present the state of their research as they would at a conference. They can put their ability to summarize to the test during the "3 minutes for a thesis" competition, IRSN's own version of "My thesis in 180 seconds." The competition's participants also have the opportunity to work with a cartoonist to transpose their research in the form of a comic strip.
Lastly, the Ad'i[N] and ASTHEC doctoral student associations enable students to establish strong ties and create professional networks through the organization of scientific, cultural and sports events.
To receive funding for a thesis, applicants must have a Master's or equivalent degree allowing them to enroll in a doctoral school before October of the current year. In cases of diploma equivalence, authorization to enroll in the doctoral school associated with the topic shall be verified before the application is put together. Unless an exception is granted, applicants must be under 26 years of age when submitting their application and have graduated with honors.
For each thesis topic, additional information – description, tutor, laboratory, etc. – is available by clicking on the topic. The first step in the application process consists in sending a CV and cover letter to the thesis tutor (address in firstname.lastname@irsn.fr format).
Final selection of the topics and applicants will take place June 2021.
Post-doctorate proposals
Post-doctorate proposal at the Microirradiation, Neutron Metrology and Dosimetry Laboratory (LMDN)
2020/09/22
The LMDN is recruiting for an 18-month post-doctoral contract, starting in January 2021 at Cadarache, on the subject "Development of a microfluidic system for the micro-irradiation of non-adherent cells and pluricellular organisms. Application to the study of ionizing radiation effects on Parkinson's disease".
The proposed topic is part of the optimization of micro-irradiation of biological samples on the MIRCOM microbeam. Equipped with a horizontal beam, the microbeam allows targeting adherent cells, such as fibroblasts or endothelial cells. In order to expand MIRCOM's micro-irradiation capabilities, a microfluidic system will be developed, allowing the immobilization of several sample types while maintaining rapid and repeatable micro-irradiation.
The proposed position aims to design and implement this system for the irradiation of microscopic multicellular organisms such as the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans and non-adherent cells. This system will then be applied to the study of the ionizing radiation effects on Parkinson's disease. The mechanisms of induction of Parkinson's disease are not fully understood but studies indicate that there may be an increased risk of this disease when exposed to ionizing radiation.
Post-doctorate contracts give doctoral graduates an opportunity to develop their competence while contributing to IRSN’s research work. The recruitment procedure for this programme is similar to that established for doctoral theses, in that candidates’ proposals for research projects are reviewed by researchers from universities or other research institutes.
International projectModelling the behaviour of overhead crane bridges during an earthquake: call for participation in an international benchmark2020/07/01
From June 2020, IRSN and EDF organise an international benchmark, under the aegis of the OECD/NEA, to compare the models used to simulate the behaviour of overhead crane bridges during an earthquake. The failure of this equipment widely used in the nuclear industry can, for certain scenarios, contribute significantly to the probability of reactor core meltdown. Assessing their behaviour in the event of an earthquake is therefore a major safety issue. This assessment involves modelling the mechanical behaviour of these devices during an earthquake, which represents a scientific challenge due to the importance of contact dissipative phenomena.
The objective of the SOCRAT (Seismic simulation of Overhead CRAne on shaking Table) benchmark is to identify the best modelling practices of the behaviour of overhead crane bridges and the most relevant failure criteria. It will thus be possible, in the medium term, to define seismic fragility curves taking into account the physics of the phenomena involved.
The first step of the benchmark will consist in describing the models used by the participants and calibrating them on a set of data collected during a test campaign conducted in 2015 on the largest vibration table in Europe (TAMARIS/AZALEE, CEA Saclay, France). In a second step, the prediction capabilities of the models will be assessed during blind non-linear simulations at high seismic intensities.
Participation in the SOCRAT benchmark is open to experts from research organisations, technical support organizations, regulatory authorities, consulting firms, and more generally to all accepting to perform computational simulation of the tested crane bridges. The SOCRAT benchmark will end at the end of 2021 with a restitution workshop leading to recommendations on best modelling practices.
In November 2019, IRSN and the University of Tokyo signed a Memorandum of Understanding seeking to further our knowledge of the interactions that take place between droplets and solid aerosols. This has already involved around ten tests carried out at IRSN's TOSQAN facility, the most recent of which was completed on February 14, 2020.
This scientific collaboration is possible thanks to research carried out at the University of Tokyo and at IRSN on ways to mitigate aerosol dispersion in view of preparations to remove corium from the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi complex, for which IRSN is also working on the characterization of aerosols from the laser cutting of corium. This involves proposing and assessing strategies designed to reduce the risk of radioactive aerosols being released to the environment when cutting the corium.
The agreement between IRSN and the University of Tokyo has involved sharing scientific information and personnel, including for experimental studies conducted at the TOSQAN facility on aerosol collection using water mist. The agreement, which covers a period of 5 years, includes the publication of papers co-authored by the two bodies.
Scientific Collaborations
European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) network convenes for its annual meeting in Florence, Italy, from January 27 to 30
2020/01/24
The EURADOS network comprises over 70 European institutions and 630 members who work together to help harmonize practices and support technical and scientific research in the field of ionizing radiation dosimetry at both European and global level.
As a member of the network, the IRSN is represented by around 20 experts across the eight working groups, together with Isabelle Clairand and Jean-François Bottollier-Depois who are members of the council.
Our teams also will host a stand at the event, representing the Department for the Measurement of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation (SMERI) and providing an opportunity for attendees to discuss areas specifically relating to dosimetry for workers.
Research program
European IVMR research program on corium retention delivers its final results
2020/01/20
Partners involved in the IVMR (In-Vessel Melt Retention) program, led by the IRSN, present their findings at a seminar held at the Juan les Pins (southern France) conference center from January 21 to 23, 2020.
Concluding in November last year, this four-year research program provided the opportunity to develop new knowledge and tools to assess whether the measures designed to stabilize and retain corium* in the vessel (IVR) in the event of a core meltdown accident might be effective for 1,000 MWe nuclear reactors. The program brought together 23 European organizations, joined in 2018 by a further nine from countries outside Europe (four Korean, two Russian, one Chinese, one Ukrainian and one Japanese).
A number of reactors with this power level (or higher) are currently in the construction or design phase across the globe, and this option, considered to be effective for reactors with a lower power, could be beneficial in stabilizing the corium before it reaches the containment building, the final barrier before releases into the environment.
The program enabled researchers to improve the methods and analytical tools used to assess IVR and the risks of vessel perforation for these reactors, and concluded that this strategy would be suitable for medium-power reactors, provided that certain key design elements were respected.
The IRSN played an active role in acquiring knowledge on in-vessel corium retention, particularly by carrying out experiments to determine the critical heat flux that can be extracted from a bath of corium surrounded by debris. The Institute also made improvements to its core meltdown accident simulation tools, by creating new models for its ASTEC (Accident Source Term Evaluation Code) software.
Finally, the new methodology proposed by the IRSN and its partners to assess the IVR strategy in high-power reactors made it possible to harmonize the different approaches used, taking account of the gradual erosion of the vessel and the transient stratification phenomena in the corium, which had previously been neglected.
* a mixture resulting from the melting of fuel, cladding and support structures
54 thesis proposals for 2020!
2019/12/16
This year, IRSN is proposing 54 topics in all scientific disciplines, for PhD theses that will start in October 2020. A full description of each thesis project is available online, in the "Theses" section of the IRSN website, enabling applications to be filed directly with the thesis supervisor.
More than 100 doctoral students work continuously in its laboratories, covering a wide range of scientific disciplines, in innovative areas of physics, biology and social sciences, helping protect the population and the environment from nuclear and radiological risks. Each doctoral student benefits from specific training to master the intricacies of writing a scientific article or dissertation, learn about networking, open access and eco-design practices, familiarize him/herself with good intellectual property practices, or be informed of openness to society.
Every year, doctoral students practice presenting their research work to their peers as part of a four-day residential seminar called "Thesis Days." During this convivial event, doctoral students discuss and present the state of their research as they would at a conference. They can put their ability to summarize to the test during the "3 minutes for a thesis" competition, IRSN's own version of "My thesis in 180 seconds." The competition's participants also have the opportunity to work with a cartoonist to transpose their research in the form of a comic strip.
Lastly, the Ad'i[N] and ASTHEC doctoral student associations enable students to establish strong ties and create professional networks through the organization of scientific, cultural and sports events.
To receive funding for a thesis, applicants must have a Master's or equivalent degree allowing them to enroll in a doctoral school before October of the current year. In cases of diploma equivalence, authorization to enroll in the doctoral school associated with the topic shall be verified before the application is put together. Unless an exception is granted, applicants must be under 26 years of age when submitting their application and have graduated with honors.
For each thesis topic, additional information – description, tutor, laboratory, etc. – is available by clicking on the topic. The first step in the application process consists in sending a CV and cover letter to the thesis tutor (address in firstname.lastname@irsn.fr format).
Final selection of the topics and applicants will take place in May-June 2020.
