Since the discovery of artificial radioactivity by Irene and Frederic Joliot-Curie in 1934, uses of radioactivity have progressively multiplied. The radioisotopes that have been created are extremely precious tools in the medical, scientific and technical domains.
- Radiation changes the matter that absorbs it, modifying its physical and chemical properties. Radiation destroys certain cancerous cells: This fact is used in radiotherapy, a technique that allows many cancers to be cured in France. It is also used in the food industry to destroy bacteria, thus improving the preservation of certain foods: the process is called ionisation: it does not make the foods radioactive but renders them more wholesome and increases their shelf life.
- Radiation is detectable and measurable, it transmits a “signal” of its passage. It can therefore transmit information about cells. This is the technique that is utilised in the medical area for exploratory examinations: scintigraphy, spectroscopy by
magnetic nuclear resonance (IRM)… This technique provides for more reliable diagnoses.
The same principle is used in industry: radioactive isotopes are used as tracers to detect leaks, as a gauge to measure levels …
- The phenomenon of radioactive decay allows us to evaluate the age of very ancient objects with precision (bones, pottery, cave paintings …), or to date
major events in the Earth’s history (volcanic eruptions, climate change …). Archaeologists now work with much more precision.
- Another application of radioactivity is in the production of electricity in nuclear power plants. |