Researchers
from the US department of energy's Pacific Northwest Laboratory
(PNL) in Richland have developed
a new fibreoptic sensor that can
immediately detect 2 of the most
common radioactive contaminents
left over from nuclear power generation and weapons development.
The BetaScintTM sensor relies
on tiny fibreoptic strands to
detect radioactive byproducts of
uranium-238 and strontium-90.
These half-millimetre thick and
one-millimetre long fibres scintillate or light up when they come
in contact with highly energized
beta particles produced by radioactive decay.
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