Earth Systems, Radioactivity and Cultural Heritage
Under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Earth Systems and Climate Change represent an essential issue in the research carried out within ESRCH thematic strand with an important societal impact. The ESRCH is focused on the sustainable management of the environment (interaction between air quality on public health), protection of the natural resources (water, soils and rock materials), assessment of natural and artificial radionuclides in the environment, and cultural heritage characterization and protection.
ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY
GEOPROCESSES, STRATEGIC GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND GLOBAL CHANGE
CULTURAL HERITAGE
ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
- Establishment of the natural background of surficial environments, sources and levels of pollution, biotransfer of contaminants through the trophic chain and chemical and radionuclides in surficial environments.
- Identification of pollutant sources in groundwater and superficial water systems by environmental stable and radioactive isotopes; wastewater treatment processes by ionizing radiation and its reuse.
- Study of the physico-chemical properties of air pollutants, evaluation of the human exposure in indoor and outdoor environments, source apportionment and health risk assessment.
- Development of strategies and tools to reduce the carbon footprint and promote a low carbon economy in buildings and cities.
ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY
- Application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the radiological monitorization of continental areas with enhanced natural radioactivity.
- Investigations on soil to plant transfer of radionuclides in uraniferous zones.
- Assessment of natural radioactivity in the estuarine biota.
- Studies on adsorption/desorption kinetics of radionuclides in clayey soils to be used as retention barriers in near-surface radioactive waste repositories.
- Assessment of the indoor radon exhalation from building materials.
GEOPROCESSES, STRATEGIC GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND GLOBAL CHANGE
- Study of the earth surface geochemistry, distribution and behavior of trace and major elements in surface environments, evaluation of the natural background and anthropogenic contributions.
- Investigations about rare earth elements, primary and secondary resources, natural background, anthropogenic sources, transfer mechanisms among environmental compartments, and risks evaluation on the environment and human health.
- Paleoenvironmental reconstruction, chronostratigraphic frameworks, geological records, evaluation of geological accumulation processes by luminescence and geochemistry.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
- Studies about the spatial and chronological evolution of raw materials exploration strategies and production technologies of artefacts and structures from prehistory to modern times.
- Chronological framework of human occupation and material culture, including the evaluation of authenticity and typological chronology.
- Identification of degradation mechanisms of materials and development of radiation technologies for the preservation of artefacts and structures.
- Absolute dating techniques of artefacts and geoarchaeological contexts by luminescence and radiocarbon.
Thematic strand leader
- Paula Carreira
Objective managers
Environment and Climate Change
- Vânia Martins
Environmental Radioactivity and Radioecology
- José Corisco
Geoprocesses, Strategic Resources and Global Change
- Rosa Marques
Cultural Heritage
- Pedro Valério