About us

Our Mission

Sharing knowledge and building bridges

Developments in contemporary society make nuclear expertise indispensable. The Radiochemistry Section within the KNCV serves as a forum for disseminating and exchanging that expertise within a professional community, a significant portion of which works in sectors directly or indirectly related to one of the four subfields: nuclear energy, technology, health, and the environment. However, the section is not intended exclusively for members of the professional community itself, but also for interested parties from other KNCV sections, the business community, and the government. In this way, the Radiochemistry Section aims to serve as a bridge (providing information and networking opportunities) by addressing current topics relevant to science, industry, government, and education.

Our Field

Radiochemistry is a branch of chemistry that focuses on the use of radioactivity to study chemical reactions. Radiochemistry also encompasses the production of radioisotopes, as well as the detection and separation of artificially or naturally produced radioisotopes. The potential applications of this knowledge are very broad, resulting in a multi-professional membership base. Broadly speaking, four main areas of application can be identified:

1. Nuclear Energy

The current and future role of nuclear energy in the Netherlands’ energy mix, and its context within Europe and the rest of the world, requires high-level knowledge and expertise in the fields of nuclear fuel chemistry and radioactive waste management.
2. Technology

The use of radioactive tracers in process facilities to gain insight in a non-intrusive manner into process parameters for process optimization, and the production of radionuclides in nuclear reactors and accelerators, requires thorough radiochemical knowledge.
3. Environment

The population is continuously exposed to natural and man-made sources of ionizing radiation in the environment. Various institutes conduct measurements in drinking water, food, air, surface water, and soil to monitor this exposure, while various companies monitor their own waste streams. Radiochemical knowledge is required in order to make reliable measurements and provide adequate advice to legislators and regulators.
4. Health

Techniques that utilize ionizing radiation are indispensable in modern medicine, both in diagnostics (e.g., SPECT and PET) and therapy (e.g., radionuclide therapy and brachytherapy). The preparation of existing and the development of new radiopharmaceuticals require specific radiochemical knowledge. In addition to medical applications, radionuclides are also used in studies of the behavior and distribution of elements/compounds in cells, tissues, organs, and entire organisms.