People in the Department

Professor David Read

Professor in Radiochemistry
BSc, PhD, FGS
Managing Director - Enterpris Limited
Director - Envirobusiness South East
Honorary Professor, University of Aberdeen.

Telephone: ++44 (0)1509 22 2576
FAX: ++44 (0)1509 223925
Email: D.Read@lboro.ac.uk

David completed his PhD in lanthanide geochemistry at University College London (1982) before moving first to the British Geological Survey and then to Cardiff University. During this time and subsequently in industry, he progressed through the Periodic Table as far as the actinides, focussing on uranium. He has also been known to dabble in a number of other areas, some of which are highlighted below.

Environmental Chemistry of the Uranium Series Elements

The study of uranium and its progeny covers an enormous range of applications. My primary interest concerns their fate in diverse geochemical environments where redox and complexation chemistry govern uptake by minerals and biota. We use advanced laboratory and field techniques in conjunction with chemical speciation modelling to predict mass transfers. Uranium series disequilibria are then used to place constraints on feasible timescales. The research is mainly applied in exploration, mining, agriculture and waste disposal. It has also attracted interest from the military, where there are health concerns surrounding the use of depleted uranium, and in forensics.

Industrial Radioactivity

Conventional industry produces very large quantities of radioactive (NORM) waste each year, much of it is sufficiently active to require specialist handling. The main industries affected are hydrocarbon extraction, mineral beneficiation and phosphate fertiliser production. We work with major producers in each sector, trying to minimise the impact at source and developing remedial measures.

Environmental and Radiological Risk Assessment

My involvement in nuclear and other hazardous waste programmes covers the UK, continental Europe and Japan. Various techniques are used for the calculation and communication of risk depending on the context. Training courses, both university-based and industrial, draw on these examples.

Analytical Techniques and Sensing

Theoretical work on metal speciation is supported by highly sensitive fluorescence spectroscopy carried out in partnership with colleagues in Germany. Recent work has focussed on the identification of ultra-thin films representing incipient stages of new mineral formation. At the other extreme, relatively cheap sensing methods (soil gas radon, biosensors) are used to detect sub-surface contamination prior to sampling and analysis.

Selected Publications

D. Read, S. Black, T. Buckby, K-H. Hellmuth, N. Marcos and M. Siitari-Kauppi. “Secondary uranium mineralization in southern Finland and its relationship to recent glacial events.” Global Planet. Change 60, 235-249 (2008).

N. Baumann, T. Arnold, H. Förstendorf and D. Read. “Spectroscopic verification of the mineralogy of an ultra-thin mineral film on depleted DU.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 42, 8266-8269. (2008)

D. Read, S. Black, H. Beddow, E. Trueman, T. Arnold and N. Baumann. “The fate of uranium in phosphate-rich soils.” Loads and Fate of Fertilizer-derived Uranium. 65-71. L.J. De Kok and E. Schnug (Eds.), Backhuys (2008).

M. Al-Masri, W. Falck, A. Konoplev, D. Read, C. Tournassat and H. Weiss. “Applicability of Monitored Natural Attenuation at Radioactively Contaminated Sites.” IAEA Technical Report Series No. 445. (2006).

H. Beddow, S. Black and D. Read. “Characterisation of scale from a former phosphoric acid processing plant.” J. Env. Rad. 86, 289-312 (2006).

J. Bhattacharyya, D. Read, S. Amos, S. Dooley, K. Killham and G. Paton. “Biosensor-based diagnostics of contaminated groundwater: Assessment and remediation strategy.” Env. Pollution 134, 485-492 (2005).

D. Read, B. Rabey, S. Black, F. Glasser, C. Grigg and A. Street. “Implementation of a strategy for managing radioactive scale in the China Clay industry.” Min. Eng. 17, 293-304 (2004).

D. Read, M. Andreoli, M. Knoper, C. Williams and N. Jarvis. “The degradation of monazite: Implications for the mobility of rare earth and actinide elements during low temperature alteration.” Eur. J. Mineral, 14, 487-498 (2002).

D. Read, F. Glasser, C. Ayora, M. Guardiola and A. Sneyers. “Mineralogical and microstructural changes accompanying the interaction of Boom Clay with Ordinary Portland Cement.” Adv. Cem. Res., 13, 175-183 (2001).

D. Read and C. Williams. “The degradation of phosphatic waste forms incorporating long-lived radioactive isotopes.” Min. Mag., 65, 589-601 (2001).

D. Read and R. Haire (Eds). “Predictive Approaches to Speciation.” OECD/NEA Monograph (2000).