Detecting Environmental Radioactivity

This textbook presents the principles and methods for the measurement of radioactivity in the environment. In this regard, specific low-level radiation counting and spectrometry or mass spectrometry techniques are discussed, including sources, distribution, levels and dynamics of radioactivity in nature. The author gives an accurate description of the fundamental concepts and laws of radioactivity as well as the different types of detectors and mass spectrometers needed for detection. Special attention is paid to scintillators, semiconductor detectors, and gas ionization detectors. In order to explain radiochemistry, some concepts about chemical separations are introduced as well. The book is meant for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in physics, chemistry or engineering oriented to environmental sciences, and to other disciplines where monitoring of the environment and its management is of great interest.

Author Biography

Manuel García-León received his PhD degree in Nuclear Physics (1983) from the University of Seville where is Full Professor of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics since 1997. He has more than 200 publications in international journals, including 4 edited books, mostly on low-level counting techniques and accelerator mass spectrometry applied to the determination of radionuclides in the environment. He has supervised 20 PhD Thesis and 40 Master Thesis. He has been invited as researcher in many Universities and Research Centers (Lund, Uppsala, Helsinki, Vienna, Sendai, Kanazawa, ETH/PSI at Zürich, NIRS at Japan, IAE in China among others). With some 40 years of experience, he has an intensive teaching activity in the University of Seville and other Spanish Universities, mainly on experimental nuclear physics, applied nuclear physics as well as radioactivity and environmental Radioactivity. Currently, he is coordinating a Joint Master Studies Programme in nuclear physics offered by several Spanish Universities and Research Centers. Since 2000 he has been involved in University and Science management activities, being Vice-Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Vice-Rector for Research of the University of Seville, Director of the National Centre for Accelerators in Spain, Director General for Research and Knowledge Transfer of the regional government of Andalucía, Spain, and Director of the Andalusian Knowledge Agency.