People

PhDynamic duo by Ph.D. Susanna Salminen-Paatero and Ph.D., docent Jussi Paatero (FMI)
Susanna Salminen-Paatero (Ph.D.)

I’ve worked in different projects dealing with environmental radioactivity and development of radioanalytical methods since 2001. My work has been changing between full-time and part-time, it has been made for UH and FMI and it has been funded mainly by EU, NKS, and foundations. The subject of my doctoral dissertation was “Development of analytical methods for the separation of plutonium, americium, curium and neptunium from environmental samples” in 2009. The separation methods utilized in the Ph.D. work were based on ion exchange and extraction chromatography, followed by alpha spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting.

My research interests still include determination of artificial radionuclides from environmental samples, but I’m seeking opportunities for expanding this research to new isotopes (more exotic isotopes of Pu and U, stable heavy metals, etc.), new analytical techniques (improved and faster separation methods) and instruments (e.g. ICP-MS, AMS). Analysis of biological (human) samples is one of my important development objects during next years.

For possible co-operation or other requests, please send an e-mail or call:

susanna.salminen-paatero@helsinki.fi

+358 50 448 67 20

Jussi Paatero (Ph.D., docent)

I have worked with environmental radioactivity ever since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. First I worked at the Department of Radiochemistry, University of Helsinki, analyzing transuranium nuclides from environmental samples (peat, lichen, plants, hot particles, lake sediment, and reindeer and elk tissues). In 1990 I started to work at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. I have maintained and developed monitoring methods for airborne radioactivity, both in-situ and laboratory measurements. My research interests include

- Atmospheric behavior of artificial radioactivity from the atmospheric nuclear tests and the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents,

- The use of airborne and deposited natural radionuclides as tracers in various atmospheric transport and removal processes, and

- The effects of meteorological parameters on the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in the atmosphere.

In addition, I have given lectures on atmospheric radioactivity at the Laboratory of Radiochemistry, University of Helsinki, since 2002.

 

For more information, please send an e-mail or call:

jussi.paatero@fmi.fi

+358 50 044 15 60