http://www.ansto.gov.

au/nuclear_information/benefits_of_nuclear_science/food_and_
agriculture

Teknik Serangga Mandul (SIT)

Lalat buah invasi ke daerah bebas dari hama mengganggu $ 600.000.000 Australia
perdagangan tahun jeruk, stonefruit, buah pome, anggur dan tanaman lainnya.
ANSTO menggunakan iradiasi untuk mengendalikan infestasi lalat buah di Australia.
Sejak tahun 1988, SIT iradiasi telah digunakan oleh NSW Department of Primary
Industries (DPI) di ANSTO untuk mensterilkan jutaan buah laboratorium dipelihara
lalat per minggu. Ketika lalat disterilkan dilepaskan di wilayah target dan kawin
dengan lalat liar dari populasi hama, mereka menciptakan keturunan. Secara
bertahap, populasi berkurang. SIT adalah manajemen program hama utama untuk
penyimpanan dan pemberantasan lalat buah Queensland (Q-fly) wabah dan
merupakan satu-satunya alternatif untuk menyemprot aplikasi pestisida beracun
ketika pemberantasan diperlukan.
ANSTO terus menyinari serangga untuk program SIT Tri-State (NSW, VIC dan
pemerintah SA, industri dan dana Commonwealth pencocokan) setiap minggu
hingga sembilan bulan tahun ini, dan di waktu lain ketika penelitian meningkatkan
SIT adalah sedang dilakukan oleh DPI dan lain-lain.
SIT juga digunakan di luar negeri. Sebagai contoh, teknik serangga steril digunakan
untuk membasmi lalat buah Mediterania dari Chili.
Penyinaran
Iradiasi juga digunakan untuk membuat varietas tanaman yang lebih tahan
penyakit dan tumbuh baik di tanah yang miskin, manfaat besar untuk negaranegara di seluruh rawan kekeringan Afrika, di mana para petani miskin mencoba
untuk bertahan hidup di lahan marjinal.
Iradiasi digunakan sebagai pengobatan pasca-panen untuk produk hortikultura juga
bermanfaat bagi lingkungan. Ini memberikan alternatif yang lebih aman untuk metil
bromida, dimana sebagian besar negara telah sepakat untuk phase out tahun 2010
karena dampak yang membahayakan terhadap lapisan ozon.
Melindungi tanah dan sumber daya
Isotop tanah ukuran, air dan penyimpanan hara, erosi tanah dan pupuk dan limbah
pestisida, memungkinkan petani untuk menyimpan trek lebih dekat dari operasi
mereka dan menggunakan sumber daya vital lebih hemat dan efektif. Sebagai

contoh, teknik nuklir dapat mendeteksi pestisida berlebihan atau residu obat hewan
dalam makanan, dan memonitor pelaksanaan praktek pertanian dan hewan yang
baik.

Peningkatan produksi ternak

Para ilmuwan menggunakan isotop untuk mempelajari hormon dan mempelajari
lebih lanjut tentang siklus reproduksi, yang membantu dalam bidang-bidang seperti
waktu-buatan inseminasi program. Sebagai contoh, di Bangladesh, FAO / IAEA
gabungan (Pangan dan Pertanian Program Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa / Badan
Energi Atom Internasional) program telah menyelidiki kesulitan dalam pemuliaan
sapi dan kerbau, dalam upaya untuk meningkatkan tingkat reproduksi.

Human health

SPECT scan
On average, every Australian can expect to have a nuclear medicine procedure that uses a
radioisotope for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes at some stage in their life.
Nuclear medicine and radiology are the medical techniques that involve the use of radiation or
radioactivity to diagnose, treat and prevent disease. While radiology has been used for close to a
century, the term "nuclear medicine" began to be used around 50 years ago.
Today, about one-third of all procedures used in modern hospitals involve radiation or
radioactivity. These procedures are safe, effective and don't require anaesthetic. They are useful
in a broad spectrum of medical specialties, from pediatrics to cardiology to psychiatry.
While both nuclear medicine and radiology are used as a diagnostic procedure (to determine a
patient's health, monitor the course of an illness or follow the progress of the treatment) and as a

therapeutic procedure (to treat illnesses), they are different in that, with nuclear medicine,
radioisotopes are introduced into the body internally, whereas in radiology X-rays penetrate the
body from outside the body.
Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radiation to provide information about a person's body
and the functioning of specific organs. The information is used by physicians to make an
accurate diagnosis of the patient's illness via nuclear imaging. Nuclear medicine can also be used
to directly treat disease or to relieve pain.
Bone and equipment sterilisation
Irradiation is the best method for destroying any residual bacteria in human bones and tendons
that are used for transplants and grafting in surgery. The bones and tendons are processed to
ensure they are completely sterile before the transplant takes place so they do not transmit
infections.
Irradiation is also used to sterilise medical products including bandages, cotton tips, eye pads,
catheters and medical devices such as knee implants. ANSTO's expertise includes the accurate
and reliable measurement of these doses of radiation. Manufacturers must then test those
products to assure sterility before use in hospitals.
ANSTO's GATRI faciliy is one of the leading irradiation facilities in Australia.
Bone Imaging
Bone imaging through nuclear scintigraphy can be used to diagnose stress fractures of bones as
well as osteoarthritis and bone infections.
A radioactive isotope is combined with a bone-seeking molecule and is then injected into the
body of the patient. The bone-seeking molecule carries the radioactive flag into the sites where
natural bone rebuilding is taking place. This is detected and a computer enhanced image is
created to effectively highlight the smallest of abnormalities, including stress fractures.
Stress fractures of bones are a common, expensive and dangerous problem for racehorses.
Veterinarians and thoroughbred trainers are now using nuclear scintigraphy to successfully
diagnose and treat their horses before costly or fatal injuries can occur. The discovery of cancer
can occur up to two years earlier using such nuclear diagnostic techniques.

In the home

Uranium glass - used until the 1920s

Many people are surprised to learn that a number of common consumer and household products
are created by the nuclear industry. One, in particular, is designed to save lives and property.
While natural radiation surrounds us every day, scientists have spent decades refining the use of
man-made radiation for the benefit of society. While nuclear medicine is the most obvious of
these, radiation produced in nuclear reactors or cyclotrons has many other benefits that are
integrated into common consumer and household items.
Smoke detectors
The most common of these is smoke detectors which are compulsory in Australia, saving lives
and property. The most widely-used smoke detectors contain minute amounts of Americium241** a transuranic element with an extremely useful property - its half-life. This produces alpha
particles at a rate which creates an easily monitored steady voltage in the air between a pair of
electrodes enclosed within an inexpensive plastic housing equipped with a simple circuit.
When the voltage changes significantly, it triggers an audible alarm. The main cause of such a
voltage change is variation in the composition of air - smoke being one probable cause. This is
why modern smoke detectors may also register steam, dust, hair spray and other household
aerosol packs.
In the case of smoke detectors, the nuclear industry has utilised Americium-241's half-life in a
clever way for the benefit of society.
Watches, clocks, ceramics and glassware
Modern watches and clocks sometimes use a small quantity of hydrogen-3 or promethium-147
isotopes as a source of light. Older watches and clocks used radium-226 as a source of light,
hence those dials that light up in the dark. They were originally designed for pilots flying at night
during World War II.

Ceramic materials such as tiles or pottery often contain elevated levels of naturally occurring
uranium, thorium, and/or potassium concentrated in the glaze. Glassware, especially antique
glassware with a yellow or greenish colour, can contain uranium. In fact, uranium glass (uranium
was added to the mix prior to melting) was sold widely up until the 1920s and is now
collectectable.
Other items that could be radioactive in the home include gemstones that have been irradiated in
a reactor to improve their appearance; glass lenses in eyeglasses or sunglasses containing
uranium and thorium; thorium mantles used in gas lanterns; magnetrons containing thorium used
in microwave ovens; electric lamps containing thorium in the filament; television faceplates and
automotive glass containing thorium; and uranium coated teeth and older dental products.
** According to the World Nuclear Organisation, Americium (atomic number 95) was first
produced at the University of Chicago in 1945, during the Manhattan Project. The stable
isotope, AM-241 has a half-life of 432 years and decays by emitting alpha particles and intense
gamma radiation to become neptunium-237.
*** Also see Wikipedia for an explanation of transuranic elements.

Industrial applications

The penetrating nature of radiation means it has many beneficial applications in industry, and
common consumer products.
A vast array of industries - from agriculture to manufacturing to computers - use radionuclide's to
assess the efficiency of materials, products and processes. Irradiated silicon is also common in
many household goods. Following is a brief snapshot of the ways in which nuclear technology is
used by industry.
Measuring materials

Radionuclide gauges are used in industrial processes to measure thickness, density or levels of
materials during production, for example, paper, plastic film, steel sheet or surface coatings. The
material passes between a radioactive source and a detector. As the intensity of the radiation is
diminished by passing through the material, the strength of the detector signal can be used to
measure the thickness, density or level of the material.
Measuring the level of liquid in soft drinks

Radionuclide gauges are also used to measure the level of liquid in cans of soft drink on a
conveyor belt, at a rate of thousands of cans per minute.
Steel manufacturing

Modern steel rolling mills could not manufacture steel plate without accurate, continuous
measurement of thickness by radionuclide devices at every stage of production.
Everyday products

Gauging can also be used on adhesive tape, brass plating, chemicals of many types, coke and
coal, detergents, floor coverings, jet engine fuel, molten aluminium, glass and scrap irons,
petroleum, plastic, rubber, stainless steel, surgical adhesive, tyre fabric, vinyl wall coverings and
wood chips.
Irradiation

ANSTO operates an irradiation facility known as GATRI, which is used to sterilise and treat a
wide range of items for medical, health, industry, agriculture and research purposes
Industrial radiography

Industrial radiography is similar to medical X-ray. It uses gamma radiation to detect structural
faults in materials such as metal and concrete. Gamma radiation is also used to inspect welds and
to detect cracks in pipelines by using a gamma source mounted on a remote-controlled trolley
that travels inside the length of the pipe. Neutron scattering is also used in industrial materials
testing and remaining life assessments. These technologies have the advantage of being nondestructive.
Coal-fuelled power stations

Coal fuelled power stations use radioisotopes to monitor the state of furnaces used to produce
electricity. Small controlled radioactive sources are embedded at different depths from the outer
surface of a furnace. As the lining of the furnace deteriorates and collapses inwards, which is
normal, the remaining thickness of lining can be monitored.
Radioactive materials methods have had a significant impact on controlling atmospheric
emissions. Radioactive measurements and on-stream analysers are also used for monitoring and
controlling the ash and moisture content in coal and coke.
Aircraft and ships

Another important application made possible by the ability of radiation to penetrate matter is
radiography or radiographic inspection. This well-established technique consists of taking a
picture of gamma rays which pass through an object to search for defects in a casting or weld.
Just as an X-ray allows a doctor to obtain a detailed picture of a bone fracture, an industrial Xray examination permits the foundry worker to obtain a detailed picture of an internal crack in a
metal casting.

In Australia, both civil and military aircraft are inspected by radiography during their regular
maintenance schedules. Jet engines are checked for correct functioning by remotely exposing a
radioactive source inside the engine and creating an image on a film. The exposed film can then
be examined to identify any faults in the engine.
Aircraft manufacturers require radiographic inspection of all wing structure components on
commercial aircraft. Similarly, shipbuilding firms require radiographic inspection of up to 10,000
welds on a single hull.
Inspecting welds in pipelines

The most frequent application of gamma radiography is the inspection of the welds in highpressure, large diameter pipelines. A radioactive source is placed inside the pipe and the film is
attached to the outside of the weld.
For examining pipelines that are hundreds of kilometres long, sophisticated, self-propelled
crawlers which actually travel in and along the pipe are used. Virtually all new natural gas or oil
pipeline systems are checked with this kind of radiographic inspection equipment.
Radiographic techniques are used extensively in inspecting petroleum and gas pipeline welding.
The petroleum industry also uses density and liquid level radioactive gauges.
Mineral analysis

Neutrons and gamma ray techniques can be used for mineral analysis. Neutrons can interact with
atoms in a sample causing the emission of gamma rays which, when analysed for characteristic
energies and intensity, will identify the types and quantities of elements present. These
techniques are used for online analysis in cement, mineral and coal industries. Another
application is to establish the density of water in soil, such as in borehole logging, where a
neutron source can be contained in a probe that can be lowered into the hole.
Gamma ray transmission or scattering can be used to determine the ash content of coal online on
a conveyor belt. X-ray fluorescence is used to determine element concentrations, for example, in
process streams of mineral concentrators. Probes containing radioisotopes and a detector can be
immersed directly into slurry streams.
Oil, petrol and gas

Radionuclides have been used in a variety of ways in oil exploration for many years. They
provide the only convenient means of locating and evaluating underground flow patterns.
Radioactive material measurement can help determine the best location for an oil well and is
important in reducing the costs of oil exploration.

When testing motor oils and lubricants, oil companies use radioactive tracers to measure friction
wear in a petrol engine without dismantling the engine, or even stopping it. This method of
measuring wear and tear is much quicker than other methods and more can be learned in a few
hours than used to be possible by running an engine for a month!
Silicon chips in computers

The computer and electronic industries have high demand for high quality, precisely doped
silicon. Irradiation of silicon ingots in a reactor accurately changes its semi-conducting
properties by bombarding it with neutrons for precise periods and converting some atoms to
phosphorus. The electronic properties of the silicon change with decreased resistively, make it
valuable to use in high quality electronic equipment.

Food and agriculture

Nuclear techniques are used in farming and agricultural communities to combat disease and and
provide other benefits.
Food safety

The process of treating food with radiant energy isn't new. The sun's energy, for example, has
been used for centuries to preserve meat, fruits, vegetables and fish. Lately, infrared and
microwave radiation have been used to heat food. Microwave ovens are commonplace in both
domestic and commercial kitchens.
Food irradiation is a process in which ionising radiation is used to keep food fresh longer and kill
germs. Food irradiation is similar to pasteurising because the radiation destroys the diseaseproducing microorganisms with radiation energy instead of heat energy. Irradiation is also used
as a quarantine measure for such items as tropical fruits.
An advantage of irradiating food over traditional preserving techniques is that irradiation only
causes minimal changes to the taste, appearance, texture and nutritional value of food. It is also
safe. Irradiated food does not become radioactive because energy from the radiation source is too
low to induce radioactivity in any material. The food also does not come into contact with the
energy source, so it cannot become contaminated by radioactive material.
Food science

ANSTO scientists are investigating the impact of processes such as heating, mixing and
fermenting on the molecular structure of various foods. The food science project, launched in

July 2006, seeks to apply neutron and X-ray scattering methods to investigate fundamental and
industrial problems of national significance in food science.
Wine production

Wine-producing grapevines need just the right amount of water, at just the right time. Nuclear
moisture probes containing radioisotopes are the most effective method available to
accurately monitor soil moisture. At critical times in the growth cycle of vines, moisture
measurements are taken in the field. The results are download into a computer and a log is kept
of the moisture content of the soil. Irrigation is then tailored to suit the crops needs, without
wasting water.
Neutron moisture gauges help farmers improve their irrigation methods, and reduce water
consumption by up to 40 per cent.
Irradiation and insect control

The fruit fly poses a serious threat to fruit and vegetable crops in Australia. Controlling insects
with chemicals can create environmental problems and result in toxic residues in food. In
addition, many insects have developed resistance to insecticides, thus requiring continually
greater amounts of insecticide for control.
The major way of controlling insects without the use of chemicals is the Sterile Insect Technique.
Male insects are sexually sterilised using radiation and released into the native population. When
the sterile insects mate with the wild insects, no offspring are produced. The irradiated fruit fly
do not become radioactive and pose no threat to people who come into contact with them.
This approach is environmentally friendly and has been widely and successfully applied
throughout the world. Indeed, it is currently being used to protect Australia's southern fruit
growing area. <
ANSTO's irradiation facility, known as GATRI, is used to sterilise and treat a wide range of
items for medical, health, industry, agriculture and research purposes</P>
Common fertilisers

Common foods such as bananas and low sodium salt substitutes also contains low levels of
radioactivity, as do many common fertilisers containing potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen.
Other products, such as water softening pellets, are also radioactive.