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CONF-9008129- DE91 000889 Topics in Nuclear and Radiochemistry for College Curricula and High School Science Programs A Symposium for the 11th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education August 5-9,1990 Atlanta, GA Organized by: American Chemical Society Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology and National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Committee on Nuclear and Radiochemistry Symposium Organizer: Dr. Patricia A. Baisden Nuclear Chemistry Division Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Session Organizers: Session I - "Radioactivity in Nuclear Medicine and the Biological Sciences" Dr. Joanna S. Fowler Department of Chemistry Brookhaven National Laboratory Session II - "The Chemistry of Nuclear Power" Dr. Gregory R. Choppin Department of Chemistry Florida State University Session III - "Radioactivity in Science and Industry" Dr. Glen E. Gordon Department of Chemistry University of Maryland Session IV - "Nuclear and Radiochemistry at the Forefront of Science" Dr. V. E. Viola Department of Chemistry Indiana University MASTER DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS UNLIMITED Preface In the late seventies, a survey conducted by the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (DNC&T) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) indicated a significant growth in the demand for chemists trained in nuclear science. The survey further predicted that over the next decade, the supply of nuclear chemists and radiochemists would not meet the increasing demand because of the decline in both faculty and student populations and insufficient research funding in the field. Since that time, a number of positive steps have been taken to curb this decline and reverse the observed trend. One such step was the establishment of the "Summer School in Nuclear Chemistry" by the DNC&T in 1984. This program, funded by the Department of Energy's Division of University and Industry Programs, offers fellowships for 12 students to attend an intensive six-week lecture and laboratory course in nuclear and radiochemistry at the San Jose State University. The success of the program lead to its expansion in 1989 to a second site at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The summer schools are held concurrently and now provide training for 24 students each year. The concern with the current status and trends of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry education in academic institutions was addressed in a recent workshop under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. The 1988 workshop, supported by the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, and the Electric Power Research Institute, considered the important contributions that scientist with nuclear and radiochemistry backgrounds have made and are continu'ng to make to other sciences and to various applied fields. Among the areas discussed were environmental studies, life sciences, materials science, separation technology, hot atom chemistry, cosmochemistry, and the rapidly growing field of nuclear medicine. For a summary of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the workshop, see pages (iii-v). This symposium was organized as a direct result of one of the recommendations given in the report: "Nuclear and radiochemical concepts and techniques should receive sufficient coverage in undergraduate courses to provide chemists with basic understanding of this field, especially in its applications to science and technology." It is the intent of the organizer and participants of this symposium entitled "Topics in Nuclear and Radiochemistry for College Curricula and High School Science Program" to provide lecture material on topics related to nuclear and radiochemistry to educators. It is our hope that teachers, who may or may not be familiar with the field, will find this collections of articles useful and incorporate some of them into their lectures. In this way students would be provided with a basic understanding of nuclear and radiochemical concepts and techniques which they may not otherwise receive. For a description of career opportunities in the field of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry see the article on page (vii) by Rebecca A. Brune, ACS Staff Associate for Career Publications. On page (ix), a description of the "Summer Schools in Nuclear Chemistry" along with instructions for applying can be found. The articles included in this collection are protected by copyright and may be reproduced with appropriate credit for non-commercial use. For permission to use any specific paper, please contact the individual authors. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Support for this symposium through grants from the U.S. Department of Energy: Division of Human Health and Assessments Office of Health and Environmental Research, Office of Energy Research Grant No. DE-FG03-90ER60955 and Division of University and Industry Programs Office of Field Operations Management, Office of Energy Research Grant No. DE-FG05-88ER75464 is gratefully acknowledged. n Training Requirements for Chemists in Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Industry, and Related Areas: Summary and Key Recommendations This is a brief summary of the report, Training Requirements for Chemists in Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Industry, and Related Areas: Report of a Workshop (National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1988). Copies of the complete report are available from the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20418. Role of Nuclear and Radiochemistry: National Needs Over the past four decades, nuclear science has been a significant and necessary factor in an extraordinary number of facets of American national life. During this period there have been exceptional advances in fundamental nuclear science, as well as in applied nuclear science including the use of radioactive isotopes in nuclear medicine, the radiopharmaceutical industry, and the ethical drug industry. The value to the health of the American population of the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioisotope-labeled compounds would be difficult to overestimate. Essentially every hospital in the country uses nuclear medicine to some degree. One of three hospital patients receives one or more nuclear medicine procedures, and the use of such procedures will continue to grow as new and even better methods of treatment and diagnosis are developed. Radioisotopes are used in diverse areas of research and technology. Some of the most sensitive analytical methods are based on radioactivation. Radionuclides are used widely by industry in inexpensive and reliable thickness gauges, flow meters, and smoke detectors, and in the development and verification of separation processes, studies of environmental pollution, and agricultural, chemical, biological, and geological research. Since World War II the national security of the United States has been dependent on nuclear weapons. Even with new treaties limiting nuclear weapons, they will remain the primary shield to protect the United States from foreign aggression. Application of nuclear technology to harness the energy produced by the splitting of the atom has also played a strong role in the production of useful energy in the form of electricity. Although the nuclear power industry is not growing at present, a significant fraction of the electrical power in the United States is now, and will for decades to come, produced by nuclear reactors. Furthermore, the mounting concern about the atmospheric effects of using fossil fuels is leading to a rcevaluation of the need for nuclear energy. Recently-voiced public and congressional concerns about safety, health, and environmental aspects of operations at the several facilities of the nation's nuclear weapons complex strongly suggest the need for a multi-decade remediation program estimated to cost several tens of billions of dollars. Regardless of the eventual fate of both the weapons program and the nuclear power industry, we must dispose of the nuclear waste that has accumulated thus far from these sources. Development of the optimal mode 'or containment and isolation of nuclear waste for hundreds of thousands of years is vital to the long-term well being of this country and the world. The future vigor and prosperity of American medicine, science, technology, and national defense, thus, clearly depend on continued use and development of nuclear techniques and use of radioactive nuclides. Graduate students trained in basic nuclear science receive an excellent preparation for solving the breadth of problems encompassed in nuclear applications and technology. Loss of know-how in this field or failure to develop new uses for the technology could seriously and adversely affect this country's economic competitiveness in many technological and industrial areas. In nearly all the areas mentioned, there is a clear need for scientists who are well-versed in both chemistry and nuclear science. There have been strong indications that the supply of such people has been increasingly inadequate to meet national needs in the several sectors of medicine, science, and technology. This workshop was held to examine whether there is indeed such a mismatch between supply and demand and, if so, to recommend corrective measures. ill The Workshop In 1978, at the request of the National Research Council's Subcommittee on Nuclear and Radiochemistry (later renamed the Committee on Nuclear and Radiochemistry [CNR]), the American Chemical Society's Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (DNCT)