LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATION
6.1

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar - Photos: ajiravan/IStock, NASA/JPL-Caltech
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATIONSURPRISINGUSES 
Ionising radiation is used in everyday life and in awide variety of disciplines, some of which we would
never have imagined. It is such a versatile tool!
Radiation can reveal the invisible, sanitise food, dateworks of art, propel military vessels or send probes
to the farthest reaches of the solar system.
These applications must be controlled, in particular
to protect the professionals who use them.

DETECT / MEASURE
Radiation is absorbed to a greater or lesser
extent by the materials it passes through.
This property is used to reveal the inside ofobjects, in radiography, or to check the levelsof a liquid or the thickness of a material.

SANITISE/STERILISE
Radiation has the ability to destroy micro-organisms. It improves
product preservation, for example, by preventing bulbs andtubers from germinating or by eliminating parasitic insects.
Radioactivity is also used to destroy micro-organisms andsanitise ancient objects in ethnology or archaeology, to improvetheir conservation, or for medical equipment.

DATE/PRESERVE
The radioactivity of a material decreases over time.
It can therefore be used to date objects and fossils.
Carbon-14 can be used to determine the age ofobjects up to 50,000 years old.
Other radioelements can be used to date events in
the history of the Earth, its climate and the living
beings that have inhabited it.

TRANSFORM /
PROPEL
Radioactivity can be used to trigger chemical reactions,enabling the development of lighter, stronger materials forprostheses, electrical cables, aeronautical parts and Teflon
cookware.
Space exploration probes, robots and satellites are equippedwith very long-life batteries containing a radioactive source.
Because of the need for autonomy, some submarines, aircraft
carriers and ice-breakers are equipped with a nuclear engine.

6.2

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar – Photos: DJ/AdobeStock, EM Art/Adobe Stock, Inrap/Dist. RMN-Grand Palais/Denis Gliksman, NASA/JPL
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATION

DETECT,
MEASURE

Ionising radiation is stopped to a greater or lesser
extent depending on the density of the materials it
passes through. It is therefore an excellent meansof probing, measuring and controlling.

GAMMA RADIOGRAPHY
Gamma radiography uses a portable device containing aradioactive source to assess defects in a material or weld.
This technique mainly uses iridium-192 and cobalt-60 sources.
These high-activity sources present a high risk of exposure
for workers, who must take appropriate protective measures.

 he Venus de Milo was exposed to radiationTusing a gamma-ray machine, which revealed
the fragility of its anatomy.

A technician prepares a gamma radiography machine
to inspect a heavy piece of boilerwork. He has been
specifically trained and will move away when theradiograph is triggered.

How do radioactive
gauges work?
On one side, a source emits rays.
On the other, a detection device
measures the amount of radiationthat has passed through the object.
The absorption of the rays depends
on the thickness through which they
pass and the structure of thematerial.

OTHER TYPES
OF CONTROLSRADIOACTIVE GAUGES
Beams of radiation from radioactive sources (krypton-85,
caesium-137, americium-241, cobalt-60, promethium-147) areused to check the thickness of sheet metal for cars on rollinglines, the weight of sheets of paper in the paper industry, oillevels in refining towers or the filling of lighters or beer kegs.

Gamma radiation

ENGINE PROTOTYPING
A crucial mechanical part is made slightly radioactive by
irradiation. Wear on the part during operation leads to adeposit of radioactive material in the lubricating oil. The oil isanalysed to determine the metal loss and therefore the wear
rate of the part.

Thickness
to becheckedX-RAY FLUORESCENCE DETECTOR
Detectors equipped with a radioactive source are used tocheck for the presence of lead in house paint (property
diagnostics) or to determine the composition of minerals andmetals.

Detection devices

AIR QUALITY
The dust content of the air can be measured using radiation
on a sampling filter.

6.3

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar - Illustration: La-fabrique-créative - Photos: C. Dupont/CEA, Nedim Imré/IRSN, Sophie Brändström/Signatures/Médiathèque IRSN
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATIONSANITISE,

STERILISE

Ionising radiation is used in the foodand healthcare industries to destroy
micro-organisms.

IMPROVE CONSERVATION
Onions and shallots can be irradiated to inhibit
sprouting, so that they keep longer.
Vegetables, nuts and legumes can be irradiatedfor disinsectisation.
Fresh fruit is not irradiated in France!

WHY AREN'T IRRADIATED
ONIONS RADIOACTIVE?
Irradiation occurs when the radioactive
source is located externally and theradiation passes through the products.
Irradiation stops when you move awayfrom the source. It is not a contaminantas such. The radiation only passes
through, even if it modifies certain cells.
Irradiation is dangerous for humans
because it modifies their cells, notbecause of the radioactivity itself,
which only passes through.
In order to contaminate someone orsomething, the radioactivity must be
carried by gases or solids (dust) thatare deposited or inhaled.

Several irradiation techniques

MAKING TRANSFUSIONSSAFER

• The electron beam: derived fromAs with food, blood products are irradiated todeactivate certain cells that could lead to a fatal
disease in transfused patients.

• Gamma rays: derived from aThis irradiation is generally carried out using amachine that emits X-rays.

a particle accelerator, it is highly
efficient but treats products one by one.
radioactive source of cobalt-60, gamma
rays are capable of treating a large
quantity of product reliably, thanks totheir penetrating power. There are six
irradiators in France, treating around3000 tonnes of products every year.

STERILISE
Foodstuffs, pharmaceutical raw materials and medical devices
are also treated to destroy micro-organisms.
Radiation, in particular gamma rays from cobalt-60, breaks
chemical bonds when it interacts with living organisms,
enabling bacteria, moulds and parasites to be eliminated whencold and with great reliability.
Their penetrating power guarantees effective and complete
treatment of the product.

SPECIFIC LABELLINGIn France, as in all of Europe, allirradiated foodstuffs must belabelled "treated with ionisingradiation" or "treated by ionisation".
In practice, this labelling is almost
never visible to the consumer, as
irradiated ingredients are mostoften incorporated into prepareddishes where they are mixed with
non-irradiated ingredients.

DEBATESHOULD WE
IRRADIATE

FOOD?

Supporters of irradiation believe that this method is lessharmful than other methods of food preservation, as it
limits the use of chemicals and reduces the risk ofcontamination by pathogenic organisms. However, thequantity of foodstuffs treated by irradiation is decreasing
every year.

Controversy persists over the possibility of creating toxic
substances. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
has not accepted as conclusive the results of studies
demonstrating the mutagenic or carcinogenic nature offood irradiation, but is concerned by the neurologicaldamage observed in cats fed heavily irradiated food.

6.4

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar – Photos: EM Art/Adobe Stock, ninice64/Adobe Stock
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATION

DATE, PRESERVE
The ionising radioactivity naturally
present in an object can be used asa tracer to date or analyse it.

DATE
Radioactivity decreases over time and cantherefore be used to date objects. Measuring
carbon-14, for example, makes it possible togive a precise age to mummies and skeletons
found by archaeologists.

Carbon-14
It is naturally present in the air.
It is produced from collisions
between stable carbon in the
air and cosmic rays.

By analysing other elements, such as lead,
potassium, argon and uranium, it is possible
to date the very age of the Earth.

Its half-life is 5730 years.

Initial quantityof carbon-14

Birth of theorganism

5730

11,46017,19022,92028,650Time (years)
Death of theorganism

ATMOSPHERE

Radioactive carbon isabsorbed by plants, humans
and animals.
As long as the body is alive,
it continues to absorb
carbon-14, the proportion ofwhich remains fixed.

When an organism dies, its storeof carbon-14 is no longer
renewed: as radioactive decay
takes place, less and lesscarbon-14 remains.

By determining how much carbon-14 remains in asample compared with the normal level for livingorganisms, we can determine the date of death of theplant, person or animal.
This method was used to identify the era in which
mammoths lived.

PRESERVE
Radiation is ideal for disinfecting
furniture, statues and mummies.
Disinsectisation involves sterilising or
destroying insects that attack old wood.
Disinfection aims to destroy fungi, moulds
and other parasites. This requires higher
doses.

6.5

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar - Illustration: La-fabrique-créative - Photo: Tatty/Adobe Stock
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

34,38040,110After 50,000 years, most of
the carbon-14 has disappeared:
this is the limit of dating.

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATION

TRANSFORM,P ROPEL

Ionising radiation can be used totransform materials, but also topropel ships and space probes.

TRANSFORM
By irradiating materials, their properties can be modified to make them lighter orstronger, for example. This does not mean that they become radioactive.

VULCANISING TYRES
The elasticity and strength of tyres can be improved by irradiation.

WOOD PROTECTION
Wood protection resins can be reinforced by irradiation. The
parquet floor in the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution at the Natural
History Museum in Paris has been treated in this way to protect itfrom the many visitors who pass through it.

BABY NAPPIESThe effect of radiation can change the molecular structure of certain
materials, allowing them to absorb considerable quantities of liquid, forexample. This property has been used to make highly absorbent nappies.

HARDENING OF PLASTICS
Plastic playing card cases, packaging and electrical cable sheaths are irradiated toincrease their resistance to chemicals and heat.

NANOSTRUCTURING
Using an irradiator, we can sculpt matter on a very small scale, that of thenanometre (10-9 m). Nanostructures have many applications, including
miniature medical implants, microscopic electronic circuits and new
ultra-fast-charging batteries.

TEFLON COATINGS
Teflon pan linings are made from micro-grains obtainedby irradiation.

PROPEL
Radioactivity can be a source of energy for ships or space
exploration machines.

THE ATOMIC BATTERY
Exploration space probes and Mars rovers need a stable,
long-lasting energy source that requires no maintenance.
They are equipped with an atomic cell: a generator that
produces electricity from heat, and this heat is producedby the radioactive decay of materials rich in plutonium-238.

NUCLEAR REACTOR
Some submarines, ice-breakers and aircraft carriers are
powered by nuclear reactors that operate in the same way
as power stations.
The advantages of nuclear propulsion over conventional
propulsion are greater range, a smaller footprint (no fueltank) and considerable power.
However, there are safety issues involved.

6.6

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar - Photos: dardespot/IStock, Polina Strelkova/IStock, Kuzmik_A/IStock, ARC-Nucléart, NASA/JPL-Caltech, Japanese Ministry of Defence
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATIONAUTHORISEDYESTERDAY...BANNED TODAY
In the past, radioactivity was used in a numberof objects that are now banned. It's best to get
rid of them, and Andra collects them.

LET'S NOTREPEAT HISTORYRADIOACTIVITY
FOR REJUVENATION
Marketed in the 1920s and 1930s, carafes containing capsulesof radium salts were supposed to provide "invigorating water".
A great American golf player died prematurely.

RADIOACTIVITY
FOR BEAUTY
In the early 1930s, a radium and thorium beauty cream waslaunched on the market. Named Tho-Radia, it promised tomake women more beautiful by erasing their wrinkles.
In 1937, radium and thorium were classified as poisonous
substances, putting an end to the brand's "miraculous"
product.

RADIOACTIVITY
FOR BETTER NIGHT VISIONIn the 1920s, radium was used in luminescent paints
on watches, alarm clocks and aircraft instruments,
for use at night.
The women who painted these objects in the factories
developed cancer and necrosis of the jaw because theywould use their lips to smooth their paintbrush bristles.

RADIOACTIVITY
AS A CURE
Radium objects for medical use (ORUM) were widespreadat the beginning of the 20th century. The surgeons' andradiologists' offices were equipped with radium
needles, probes and compresses.
These objects are among the most active andtherefore the most dangerous. If you have any,
you should dispose of them with Andra.

RADIATION PROTECTION
IS ALWAYS EVOLVING...
Until the 1980s, radioactive lightning rods were installedon roofs. They have been banned since 1987, but someremain in place.

For further informationon the collection process, go to theAndra website, "Espace producteur"(Waste producer section)

Until the early 2000s, smoke detectors incorporating aradioactive source were widely used. Since then, newtechnologies have appeared that are just as reliable but
without the risks.
Under normal circumstances, neither presents a danger tohuman health. However, they can present risks if they aredamaged or dismantled.

AND
TODAY?

INAPARADThe addition of radioactive substances is prohibited inconsumer and construction products. Waivers are
possible but remain exceptional. The use ofradioactivity is only justified if there is no equivalenttechnique.

6.7

The official website for thenational inventory of radioactive
lightning rods.

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar – Photos: George Marks/IStock, Andra, Esther Mateo-Kate Moore
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr

LITTLE-KNOWN USESOF RADIATIONCARE FORANIMALS
Pets and farm animals also benefit fromthe medical uses of ionising radiation.

PET
CARE
19,000 veterinarians in 6,000 practices inFrance are equipped with X-ray equipment.

Like humans, animals may suffer froman accident or fall. In this case, X-rays
are just as useful for locating andtreating any fractures.
Just like us, our pets are at risk ofdeveloping cancer. They can be
diagnosed and treated using the sameradiotherapy techniques as humans.

CARE
FOR LARGE ANIMALSTreatment of large animals requires specially adapted
equipment and premises, or portable X-ray generators(mobile radiography).
Equine mobile radiodiagnosis requires the presenceof several people, mainly to hold the animal or
the equipment in place. These practices must
be regulated and monitored to protect
everyone involved from the dangers
of ionising radiation.

6.8

Design: ASN and IRSN Communications Departments - October 2021
Graphic design and production: www.kazoar.fr - Pictograms: Freepik, Kazoar – Photos: Éric Isselée/Adobe Stock, Ivonne Wierink, MICEN VET, Florence Levillain/Signatures/Médiathèque IRSN
Reproduction prohibited without the agreement of ASN/IRSN. For further information: contact@irsn.fr