The Environmental Radioactivity Measurements Laboratory (LMRE) is located at Orsay, in the Paris region. Directed by Christophe Ardois, the laboratory employs a team of 17 members, including 4 researchers (3 with doctorates, and 9 technicians. Two students preparing a post-graduate thesis is also currently at the laboratory.
Context and research themes
The LMRE's main research theme is "Radionuclides transfers in the environnement".
Research axes
LMRE's activities include:
- Studying how the physical and chemical characteristics of the matrixes of various types of environmental samples analyzed affect measurement quality.
- Developing new measurement techniques for quantifying very low concentrations of radionuclides in environmental matrixes.
- Measuring the radioactivity of aerosols and precipitation in metropolitan France and the French overseas departments and territories, using large-volume samples.
- Performing all measurement operations governed by a quality assurance plan, within the COFRAC accreditation context for Environment and Food programs.
- Helping to write the reference standards of the French standards association (AFNOR) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) applying to environmental radioactivity measurement, by participating in the working groups of the French nuclear equipment standardization agency (BNEN).
Research team
Christophe Ardois, head of laboratory
Sébastien Aubry, technician
Séverine Bonnot, technician
Béatrice Boulet, engineer
Xavier Cagnat, technician
Nicolas Cariou, technician
Catherine Cossonnet, engineer
Anne De Vismes, engineer
Marjorie Galliot, technician
Blaise Kervizic, technician
Cédric Le Corre, techician
Aline Maigret, technician
Neila Mohara, technician
Sandrine Thomas, technician
Carole Vivien, technician
Facilities and techniques
- High efficiency germanium spectrometers includinq cosmic and Compton suppression equipments. Two very low backgound detectors, including a 800 cc well-type germanium detector, installed in the Modane underground laboratory (LSM).
- Alpha spectrometers using PIPS detectors, proportional counters and liquid scintillation detectors.
- ICP Mass Spectrometer
