Mangalore varsity develops key technology for BARC

July 17, 2014 04:06 am | Updated 01:57 pm IST - MANGALORE

Mangalore University has added a feather to its cap by developing a technology, and fabricating a prototype system, for the removal of two radioactive gases (radon and thoron) present in work places of industries that handle uranium and thorium. The technology, called thoron mitigation system, will also minimise the release of these two gases into the environment.

The university has developed the technology under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai. BARC has funded the project.

Vice-Chancellor of the university K. Byrappa will hand over the technology and prototype to a team from BARC at a function on the university campus at 2 p.m. on Friday.

“The development of a simple and inexpensive activated charcoal-based mitigation system will find immense application in uranium and thorium processing facilities. It has the potential to offer numerous advantages over conventional systems for the continuous removal of radon and thoron from the air in industrial workplaces,” a statement by the university said.

“Spin-off applications of the system include remediation of radon and thoron problem in mining and processing industries, site remediation, and reduction of personal radiation exposure due to radon and thoron. Other potential application is recovery and isolation of radioactive Xe & Kr fission gases in workplaces.”

While a team of scientists led by N. Karunakara of the Radioecology Research Laboratory, University Science Instrumentation Centre, Mangalore University, designed and fabricated the system, BARC provided the necessary support in theoretical calculation and calibration of the system.

Subsequently, the scientists of Mangalore University carried out experiments on radon and thoron absorption efficiencies of charcoal, holding capacity, degassing characteristics, and fabrication of the prototype mitigation system.

The BARC scientists involved in developing the technology are D.N. Sharma, Y.S. Mayya, B.K. Sapra and B. Sahoo, the statement said.

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