Overview of the radioactive and nuclear agents in the environment

Abstract

Radionuclides can be naturally occurred and artificially produced in the environment. Analyses and characterization of radionuclides can be achieved by using radiometric methods selected in according to the specification (i.e. energy, activity, chemical properties) of radionuclides. The radiometric methods are outlined as gamma spectrometric, alpha spectro-metric, beta counting, track detector systems and in-site methods. Gamma spectrometric systems are traditional gamma spectrometry and underground gamma laboratories. Some of nuclide analysis methods including Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass spectrometry (ICPMS), Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) Methods are particularly useful for trace and ultra-trace analysis of environmental radionuclides. © Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009.