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The University of Southampton
Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute
Phone:
(023) 8059 6587
Email:
iwc@soton.ac.uk

Professor Ian Croudace BSc, PhD, FRSC

Emeritus Professor

Professor Ian Croudace's photo

Professor Ian Croudace is Emeritus Professor of Environmental Radioactivity and Geochemistry within Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton at the University of Southampton. He is also founding Director of GAU-Radioanalytical and a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

BSc Geology with Chemistry, Liverpool University, 1973

PhD Granite Geochemistry, Birmingham University, 1980

PDRF, Université de Paris VI & Centre d'Etude Nucléaires, Saclay, 1980-82

Ian Croudace is a specialist in several branches of analytical geochemistry including X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, gamma ray spectrometry and radioanalytical chemistry and has published more than 150 papers in the international geochemical and chemical literature. He has supervised 28 PhD students on topics relating to environmental radioactivity and environmental geochemistry. He also has a strong interest in enterprise and has co-developed instruments that are widely used in both the nuclear sector and academic research. One instrument has become the industry standard instrument for extracting tritium and C-14 from nuclear and related materials while another is the prototype to the world’s leading micro-XRF core scanner. This instrument was developed with NOC colleague Guy Rothwell in 2000 using partial funding obtained from the UK-OST and partnering with Swedish company Cox Analytical Systems. The world's first Itrax core scanner, based at NOCS, arrived in 2003.

Research interests

Specialisms: Environmental radioactivity, XRF analysis

  1. Environmental geochemistry, environmental radioactivity and forensic geochemistry. I collaborate with other groups, nationally and internationally, examining the timing of natural and anthropogenic events (extreme events, radioactive and heavy metal pollution records) in estuarine, coastal, terrestrial and lacustrine environments.
  2. Micro-XRF analysis sediment (Springer DPER Series, No 17). Features papers on the use of micro-XRF sediment core scanners in paleoenvironmental research. The book presents a broad ranging view of instrument capability and points to future developments that will help contribute to higher precision elemental data and faster core analysis. It broadens understanding of an increasingly used analytical technique that has revolutionised the capability to extract high-resolution paleoenvironmental data from sediment archives.
  3. Radioanalytical developments: The Geosciences Advisory Unit (GAU-Radioanalytical Laboratories) is the research and consultancy organisation set up to deliver specialised analytical and radioanalytical services to the nuclear sector. It supports the complex needs of waste characterisation for nuclear decomissioning programmes in the UK and Europe. It also promotes novel research through industry-funded PhD projects. 
  4. STARS-of-Europe WINNER: SecurEAU was an EU-FP7-SEC project aimed at developing rapid off-line methods for identification of radionuclides in drinking water networks following a deliberate contamination event by a CBRN assault. The project included a PhD project studying radionuclide interactions with biofilms. In 2013 the SecurEAU project was a recipient of a Stars-of-Europe award.
  5. Instrument developments: Co-developer of three analytical instruments. The Itrax micro-X-ray core scanner; the Pyrolyser Trio used to extract volatile radionuclides (tritium, 14C, 36Cl, 129I) from solid materials; the HBO2  hyperbaric oxidizer used to enable the efficient oxidation and extraction of organic-rich materials to CO2 and H2O

GAU-Radioanalytical Laboratories

Research group

Geochemistry

Research project(s)

Waste reduction and recycling in nuclear decommissioning

Advancing low level radionuclide analysis using HR-Sector Field ICP-MS: bioassay applications

Measurement of 135Cs/137Cs in environmental samples

Nuclear Forensics: Determining the origin of uranium ores from geochemical signatures

Assessment of Sorbent Materials for the Remediation of Radionuclide Contaminated Groundwater

Development of Robust Automated Techniques for Radionuclide Separation

X-ray core scanners as a novel environmental forensic tool

Measurement of Neptunium-237 and its application to environmental studies

Windermere Research

Manager of X-ray Fluorescence Analysis Laboratories (established 1983)

Technical consultant to NERC-funded BOSCORF (2005-)

Member of Management Advisory Panel for μ-VIS computed tomography centre (2010-)

Member of the Independent Sellafield Contaminated Land Peer Review Panel (2009-)

Project Manager for the Southern England Radiation Monitoring Group, 1988-2008

Chairman of the Scientific Information Group for AWE Environmental Radioactivity Study (1998-2002)

Member of Organising Committee for the 11th International Symposium on Environmental Radiochemical Analysis (2010)

SOES3008 Environmental Geology: module co-ordinator 
SOES6023 Environmental Radioactivity and Radiochemistry: module co-ordinator
SOES6030 Advanced Independent Research Project: Supervisor

Professor Ian Croudace
Ocean and Earth Science
National Oceanography Centre Southampton
University of Southampton Waterfront Campus
European Way
Southampton SO14 3ZH
UK

Room Number : NOCS/161/22

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