American Chemical Society's weekly PressPac -- May 6, 2009

New "smart" polymer reduces radioactive waste at nuclear power plants
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

Scientists in Germany and India are reporting development of a new polymer that reduces the amount of radioactive waste produced during routine operation of nuclear reactors. Their study, which details a first-of-its-kind discovery, has been published in the ACS' Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, a bi-weekly journal.

Börje Sellergren and colleagues note that structural materials such as carbon steel in power plants' water cooling systems form deposits of metal oxides when they interact with coolants. In nuclear power plants, these oxides trap radioactive ions, leading to buildups of radioactivity that require costly cleanups of reactor surfaces. Cobalt, present in some alloys used in the reactors' water systems, is a major contributor toward this problem because of its long half-life.

In the study, the researchers created an adsorbent material that — unlike conventional ion-exchange resins that are frequently used in reactors — is selective for cobalt but has the unique ability of disregarding iron-based ions. The polymer's high selectivity increases its appeal, the researchers add, for use in decontamination processes in reactors that utilize a variety of structural materials. — JS

ARTICLE #4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Synthesis and Characterization of Imprinted Polymers for Radioactive Waste Reduction"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE: http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/ie801640b

CONTACT:
Börje Sellergren, Ph.D.
University of Dortmund
Dortmund, Germany
Phone: +49-231-7554082
Fax: +49-231-7554084
Email:

ARTICLE #5 EMBARGOED FOR 9 A.M., EASTERN TIME, May 11, 2009

New EU regulations force cosmetics firms to abandon safety tests in animals
Chemical & Engineering News

New European Union (EU) regulations restricting use of animals to test the safety of shampoo, nail polish, and other personal care products are forcing cosmetic makers to seek alternative ways to test these products, according to an article scheduled for the May 11 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN senior correspondent Marc Reisch explains in the cover story that an EU regulation now restricts use of animal testing, and will totally ban it effective in 2013. "Its influence is far reaching because it will affect substances imported into the EU and because EU regulations are often adopted in other countries," the article notes.

As a result, cosmetic makers are evaluating safety with so-called in vitro or "test tube" testing, simulations of cosmetic effects with computers, and safety information in existing databases. Some manufacturers express concern because EU officials have not yet validated all of the new testing methods and worry that the regulations could stifle development of innovative cosmetic ingredients.