Research

High-level radioactive waste remains an unresolved challenge that imposes long-term responsibilities on human societies. Among the various approaches proposed to quantify its hazard, radiotoxicity based on potential ingestion has been widely used as a metric for assessing waste safety and comparing management strategies. This work provides a concise historical overview of how radiotoxicity has been applied in nuclear waste assessment and critically examines the assumptions embedded in its presentation. By making these assumptions explicit, we aim to clarify how radiotoxicity metrics shape perceptions of safety.

The overall project deals with the consequences of a nuclear weapon explosion in the immediate vicinity of Austria and the effects on critical infrastructure and supply chains. The trigger for this is assumed to be an attack with a tactical nuclear weapon on a strategic target, such as the NATO base in Aviano, Italy, where nuclear weapons are stationed. Quex's contribution is to define the scenario under consideration and further develop the source term as used for propagation calculations with Flexpart.

As part of the decarbonization of industrial processes and the mobility and transport sectors, hydrogen is emerging as an increasingly important climate-friendly energy source. Some countries are exploring the use of nuclear process heat for hydrogen production, particularly in high-temperature reactor concepts. Using nuclear heat sources can be a technically efficient option for hydrogen production processes that require high temperatures. However, this results in close spatial and technical coupling between nuclear and non-nuclear plant components. This new system integration raises specific safety concerns regarding the protection of the reactor plant and possible repercussions from storing large quantities of hydrogen nearby. This research project aims to systematically document international developments in using nuclear process heat for hydrogen production and evaluate them from a safety perspective. The project will provide an overview of existing technical concepts and plans for practical implementation, analyze possible risks and interfaces, and classify them according to international nuclear regulations.