The nucleus of an atom contains protons and neutrons. However, some atoms of the same chemical element can have varying numbers of neutrons, giving so-called isotopes of that element.
Most elements have both stable and radioactive isotopes. Radioactive isotopes of an element are commonly used as tracers in medical, biological, and industrial studies to gain information about physical and mechanical processes. In geology and archaeology, radioactive isotopes are used to determine the age of a sample while hydrologists can use isotope signatures to distinguish between different groundwater types.
In the health sector, isotopes are used for the diagnosis of heart disease, locomotive disorders and cancer, for therapy and palliative applications. Every year more than 30 million medical treatments and over 100 million laboratory tests are carried out using isotopes. In the environmental field, isotopes are used for the measurement of air and water pollution, and to understand effects and risks to public health and environment from certain management scenarios for radioactive waste. In the field of industrial safety, radioisotopes are used to detect flaws in steel sections used for bridge and jet airliner construction, and to check the welds on pipes, tanks and other structures. In consumer protection and safety, isotopes are used to study the quality of foodstuffs and their metabolisation by humans.
Analysis of the isotopic “fingerprint” or “signature” of elements can reveal many things about the food we eat, about human physiology, about how carbon dioxide moves in the atmosphere and about the misuse of nuclear materials.
The European Commission carries out these accurate isotopic measurements, which are often used as references in development of new methods or standards. Typical studies carried out by the Commission concern levels of sulphur in diesel, mercury in fish, calcium or lead in bone, radioactive elements in the environment, platinum in car catalysts, and the source of nitrogen in plants.
Furthermore, isotopic techniques are also used by the European Office for Wine, Alcohol and Spirit Drinks in authentication of wines, and their use for the authentication of organic food is currently being studied.
The European Commission also supports nuclear safeguards by producing isotopic reference materials that help inspectors to verify nuclear activities. The isotopic fingerprint and the microscopic structure of uranium, in an unknown nuclear sample, can tell us where it came from as well as its most likely intended use. The European Commission is able to provide rapid analysis and detailed nuclear forensic investigation, which detects, fingerprints and tracks nuclear materials across Europe and beyond, assessing their possible uses and radiological hazards.