Gegenstand der Untersuchungen sind TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Natural Occurring Radioactive Material), also Materialien mit natürlichen Radionukliden, die durch anthropogene Prozesse angereichert wurden.

Ziel des Projektes ist die Schaffung einer EU-weiten Datengrundlage von TENORM und eine Harmonisierung bislang angewendeter Risiko-Abschätzungen. Da in den EU-Ländern die Datengrundlage ausreichend ist, liegt der Schwerpunkt der Datensammlung und -evaluation in den Ländern, die als EU-Beitrittskandidat anerkannt sind.

Aufgaben im Projekt sind die Identifizierung von TENORM-Quellen und der Grad der Kontamination in Absprache mit den EU-Beitrittskandidaten. Hierzu werden Statusberichte von den Teilnehmern ausgewertet. Die halbjährigen Treffen finden in Ungarn, Tschechien, Slowenien, Rumänien, Polen, Belgien und Deutschland statt.

Die Bindungsformen von Radionukliden in TENORM sind Thema einer Promotion in der Abteilung Geologie. Anhand sequentieller Extraktionen sollen die Bindungsformen (und damit die potentielle Mobilisierbarkeit) von Radionukliden ermittelt werden. Weiterhin soll die Radon-Emmanation der TENORM bestimmt werden, da diese die Strahlenexposition des Menschen maßgeblich kontrollieren kann.

• LEOPOLD, K. (2001): Magnetische und mikroskopische Gefügeuntersuchungen an paläozoischen Sedimenten aus einem Faltungs- und Überschiebungsgürtel in der Palentinischen Zone, Kantabrien, Nordwest-Spanien. - In: GAUPP, R. & VAN DER KLAUW, S. (2001): Sediment 2001: Programm, Kurzfassungen, Exkursionsführer: Jena, 6.6. - 8.6.2001. - Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft: 13, S. 64; Hannover.
• LEOPOLD, K., HOEPFNER, K.A., JOVANOVIC; P., JUHASZ, L., LACIOK, A., MICHALIK, B., MORAVANSKA, H., POFFIJN, A., POPESCU, M., RADULESCU, C., SZERBIN, P., WEIß, D. & WIEGAND, J. (2002): TENORM HARM: A pan-European compilation of Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occuring Radioactive Materials. Geo2002 - Planet Erde: Vergangenheit, Entwicklung und Zukunft; Würzburg. Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaf: 21, S. 222-223; Hannover.
• Weiß, D.; Biesold, H.; Jovanovic, P. Juhàsz, L.; Laciok, A.; Leopold, K.; Michalik, B.; Moravanská, H.; Poffijn, A.; Popescu, M.; Radulescu, C.; Szerbin, P.; Wiegand, J. (2003): Sources, levels and inventory of TENORM in EU member states and candidate countries. 3rdSymposium on Radiation Protection, International Conference ENOR III Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactivity, March 3. - 7. 2003; Dresden.
• legislative aspects for each country: Germany.- - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 - , Deliverable No. 9, 3.2. National report to legislative aspects:GERMANY,- Essen

• LEOPOLD, K. (2004): Guidance of measures directed towards the mitigation of harm by improvement of work conditions. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 - , Deliverable 8, 2.3. Compilation and evaluation of work conditions, the environment of workplaces, effluent parameters etc. to extract proposals for its environment; GERMANY: Waterworks, 10 p.; Essen.
• LEOPOLD, K.(2004): Guideline for authorities for improving the national regulations towards the EU directive 96/29. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 - , Deliverable No. 7, 3.1. Improvement of national regulations towards EU directive 96/29, Essen

• LEOPOLD, K./WEISS, D. (2004):Compilation and ranking of exposure to workers and members of the public by type of industry. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 - , Deliverable No. 5, 2.2. Dose assessment related to workers and members of the public according to the type of industry, Essen/Berlin.

• LEOPOLD, K. (2003): Analysis of information by materials/residues and by type of industry resulting from coal mining. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 - , Deliverable 6 ,1.4. Analysis of the information by type of industry and by material or residues, 10 p.; Essen.
• LEOPOLD, K. (2003): German national report on the evaluation of sampling and measurement methods used. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 -, Deliverable 4 ,1.3. Compilation and evaluation of existing methods for sampling and measurement, 10 p.; Essen.
• LEOPOLD, K. (2003): German national report on dose assessments of radiation hazards resulting from coal mining. - Eu-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29 -, Deliverable 2 ,2.1. Applied methods of radiation dose assessment according to type of industry and/or kind of TENORM, 21 p.; Essen.
• LEOPOLD, K. (2003): Summarised assessment of results of radioactivity measurements. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29-, Milestone 1.1. ,1.2. Additional radioactivity measurements in case of missing data, 19 p.; Essen.
• LEOPOLD, K. & WIEGAND. J. (2002): Guideline for identification of sources, levels and inventory of TENORM. - EU-project TENORMHARM -New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29, 21 p.; Essen.
• LEOPOLD, K., PETERS, B., WEIß, D. & WIEGAND, J., (2002): German national report to levels and inventory of TENORM. - EU-project TENORMHARM - New approach to assessment and reduction of health risk and environmental impact originating from TENORM according to requirements of EU-directive 96/29, Deliverable 1 ,1.1. National reports to levels and inventory of TENORM, 49 p.; Berlin/Essen.