For 35 years now, since its early days as a laboratory specialising in carrying out tests under the Environmental Radiological Surveillance Programme, DRACE GEOCISA's radiochemistry lab has been performing measurements and radiochemical tests on environmental matrices (water, soil, air, foodstuffs, vegetation and animals).
As facilities reach new stages in their life cycles, new challenges arise for radiochemical measurements: new testing matrices and new isotopes that have not previously been determined.
The radiochemistry lab has been involved from the outset in the first project to dismantle a Spanish nuclear power station, at the Vandellós I plant, as well as in the dismantling of the José Cabrera plant.
Meanwhile, DRACE GEOCISA's Radiological Protection Technical Unit (UTPR) has adapted to the new needs of nuclear facilities by now devoting itself to two main activities. Surveillance programmes at impacted sites and site-release projects.
Also, since 2010 the radiochemistry lab has been included in the permit granted by the Nuclear Security Council to Tecnatom's Internal Personal Dosage Service (SDPI), performing in vitro analytical measurements of biological samples to determine any contamination by the inclusion of alpha or beta emitters.
