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Incidents such as nuclear weapon tests, accidents in nuclear power plants, transport accidents and accidental or authorised discharges from nuclear facilities have introduced anthropogenic radionuclides into the environment. Scientists need accurate analysis of these radionuclides in order to estimate the risk to the public from released radioactivity. This book is an authoritative, up-to-date collection from leading scientists across the globe on environmental radiochemistry and radioecology, nuclear industry decommissioning, radiation detection and imaging, medical imaging, radioanalytical techniques and nuclear forensics. The research contributions were first presented at the 14th International Symposium on Nuclear and Environmental Radiochemical Analysis in September 2022. Providing a key reference for graduates and professionals who work across fields involving analytical chemistry, radiochemistry, environmental science and technology, and waste disposal, this book is essential reading to aid risk analysis and protection.

Ce livre, rédigé dans un esprit pédagogique, offre un panorama des principales techniques d'analyses des radionucléides et des bonnes pratiques du radiochimiste. Il détaille pragmatiquement les éléments théoriques de bases de ce domaine relativement large et les illustre par des exemples, des protocoles/outils expérimentaux, des applications numériques et des exercices corrigés.Cet ouvrage s'adresse aux étudiants des premiers cycles universitaires scientifiques voire au-delà ainsi qu'aux techniciens, ingénieurs et personnels de laboratoires confrontés à des problématiques d'analyses radiochimiques.Les auteurs sont tous deux ingénieurs-chercheurs au CEA. Ils sont également Habilités à Diriger des Recherches et enseignent à l'Université d'Aix-Marseille.

Incidents in the past have made scientists aware of the need for accurate methods of radionuclide analyses in order to estimate the risk to the public from released radioactivity. This book is an authoritative, up-to-date collection of research contributions presented at the 12th International Symposium on Environmental Radiochemical Analysis. Representing the work of leading scientists from across the globe it presents information on radiochemical analysis, measurement of radioactivity, naturally occurring radioactive materials, radioactively contaminated land, fate of radionuclides in natural and engineered environments and behaviour and analysis of radionuclides in radioactive wastes. This essential work will be a key reference for graduates and professionals who work across fields involving analytical chemistry, environmental science and technology, and waste disposal.

The aim of this book is to give an account of the principal radiochemical methods used in chemical analysis. It is assumed that the reader already has some background knowledge of radioactivity, available from several general textbooks. For this reason some subjects, e. g. the fundamentals of radio­ activity, the properties of radiation, statistics of counting procedures, the precautions needed in working with radioactive materials, which could have occupied half the text, are not considered in detail. The different aspects of radiochemical analysis have been covered by specialized books and reviews, e. g. on activation analysis, gamma spectrometry, radiometric titrations. A good deal of information is in the form of reports of meetings and symposia and liquid scintillation counting, for instance, has been mainly covered in this way. There are also a large number of journals. It is therefore hoped that this book will help fill the gap between the introductory texts and the specialized sources, many of which are referred to in the chapter references. The ftrst three chapters in the present volume deal with the methods of measurement of radioactive nuclides. Chapter I gives a general account of detection and measurement techniques. The next two chapters are devoted to two specialized techniques: gamma-ray spectrometry and liquid scintilla­ tion counting.

This book appears a century after the discovery of radioactivity. It was in 1896, when Henri Becquerel reported his first results about the penetrating radiation, which could darken the packed photographic plates. The initial fascination of radioactivity, e.g., the discovery of new radioactive elements, the first real description of the structure of atoms and their nuclei, the applications of radiotracers, the high sensitivity of activation analysis, etc., was followed by the use of atomic bomb in 1945. The mushroom cloud became a symbol of destructive nuclear power. And even nuclear energy production (which provides about 20% of the world's electricity) is overshadowed by radioactive waste. However, the latest results suggest that the Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology (ADTT) will solve this problem, since this technique can decrease the lifetime of the fission products comparatively to the human lifespan. Practical control of fusion may also be possible in the first decades of the next millennium.

The Laboratory Manual is intended to accompany the Textbook to permit teaching radioanalytical chemistry to seniors and graduate students in a program that will train radiochemists, who are badly needed at this time. The manual will be used in conjunction with the textbook to teach a 3-hour lecture course and a 6-hour laboratory. The experiments address a range of practical aspects in the radiochemistry laboratory: use of laboratory and radiation detection equipment, performing specific analyses for radio-iodine, radio-strontium, uranium, and plutonium, and developing the skill of selecting and testing new procedures.

This work is a comprehensive and much-needed tool for the teaching and practice of radioanalytical chemistry. It encompasses a concise theoretical background, laboratory work, and data interpretation. It also contains chapters on the most current and visible applications of radioanalytical techniques. Its emphasis on the practical aspects on laboratory setup and operation make it a valuable tool for training professionals and students alike.

At head of title: Radiochemical techniques.