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nuclear forensics decodes isotopic Some of these materials come from medical
fingerprints and elemental signatures or industrial sources- such as cesium-137,
to track the lifecycle of radioactive cobalt-60, or strontium-90. Others are even
materials. With a mission to support more dangerous: alpha-emitting nuclear
law enforcement and global security, materials with deadly radiotoxicity. These
nuclear forensics relies on a fusion of aren’t just health hazards, but when in the
high-tech scientific methods. wrong hands, can become tools of terror.
Real-world applications highlight just “The idea of 'dirty bomb'- a device
how precise this science can be. For combining explosives with radioactive
example, the European Commission’s material- is no longer fictional. It's real and a
Joint Research Centre- working as growing concern.”
the EU’s “atomic detectives”- has
conducted over 60 investigations in I am not alive, yet I leave
the last 30 years using just tiny Food behind a trail,
samples of materials. In one case at In shattered atoms, I tell
my tale.
the Port of Rotterdam, they traced Hidden in isotopes, my
For story’s preserved,
uranium material back to facilities in By those who study me,
Russia operational in the 1960s based justice is served.
solely on isotope composition and Thought What am I?
decay chronology. Answer:Radioactive
material
This is where nuclear forensics emerges as a
crucial defence. By using advanced
analytical tools- such as mass spectrometry,
gamma and alpha spectrometry, and
electron microscopy- scientists can trace the
origin, history, and intended use of
radioactive material. Through international
labs and working groups, this field has
rapidly matured, bolstering global security
by transforming invisible particles into
Image 2: Nuclear forensic capabilities actionable evidence.
Source: https://www.pnnl.gov/nuclear-forensics
