radiokemi

Radiokemi, or radiochemistry, is the branch of chemistry that studies radioactive elements and compounds. It encompasses the production, separation, identification, and chemical behavior of radionuclides, as well as the measurement and interpretation of their radioactive decay.

Key methods include radiochemical separations such as ion-exchange chromatography, solvent extraction, precipitation, and crystallization to isolate radionuclides; and radiometric detection using alpha, beta, and gamma counting, scintillation spectrometry, and gamma spectroscopy to quantify activity and characterize materials.

Radionuclides are produced in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators and can originate from natural decay chains. Common examples include technetium-99m, iodine-131, cesium-137, cobalt-60, and fluorine-18. Knowledge of half-lives, decay schemes, and radiochemical form is essential.

Applications span medicine, industry, and science. In medicine, radiopharmaceuticals enable PET and SPECT imaging and targeted radiotherapy. Industrial tracers assist in flow studies, corrosion monitoring, and leakage detection. Radiochemistry also informs environmental tracing and fundamental studies of chemical kinetics.

Safety and regulation are central. Radiation protection principles, shielding, contamination control, dose assessment, and waste management are governed by national and international bodies. Ethical practice requires minimizing exposure (ALARA) and ensuring traceability and quality in radiochemical preparations.

The field emerged from early discoveries of radioactivity at the end of the 19th century and matured with advances in instrumentation and radiopharmaceutical science.