Applications of Radioactivity

Applications in industry, the agri-food sector, everyday life

Révision éditoriale 2026

The controlled use of radiation in industry, which is involved in many everyday products, is largely unknown to us as consumers, who do not suspect its existence. Yet radioactive sources and tracers are used in the control of many industrial manufacturing processes.

These are non-destructive tests that do not disrupt manufacturing cycles.

For example, in a refinery, a pinch of radioactive argon-41 atoms is injected into the light phase in a heavy fuel catalytic cracking tower. Engineers thus monitor and improve the quality of gasoline intended for motorists’ fuel tanks.

Radioactive sources are also frequently used to control industrial processes. For example, in cement plants, the hoppers carrying raw materials pass in front of a neutron source. The neutrons are captured by the nuclei of the elements in the mixture, which de-excite by emitting gamma rays. Detecting the gamma rays from the activated nuclei provides information about the exact composition of the mixture, allowing continuous adjustment of proportions and ensuring consistent cement quality.

Radioactivity is also used to modify, by means of much higher irradiation doses, the mechanical and chemical properties of a material. An industrial process, similar to the one used for restoring antique furniture, transforms soft wood into flooring as hard as marble. A resin is added to the wood. Under the effect of gamma radiation, it becomes very hard, which greatly strengthens the wood.

These durable floors are used in high-traffic areas such as airports, public places, large department stores, or museums, such as in Paris at the Grand Gallery of Evolution at the Natural History Museum.

Irradiation by gamma rays has other applications in the agri-food industry. Naturally produced gamma rays do not have enough energy to create radioactive atoms. However, they do affect chemistry, atoms, and molecules. They rid irradiated fruits and vegetables of larvae, insects, and bacteria, just as they rid the mummy of Ramses II of the same pests. Gamma rays can even eradicate flies by rendering them sterile, whose swarms are major plagues in citrus-producing countries.