Radiation and radioactive materials can be used by humans in a number of ways. This page merely touches the surface of the subject by giving examples of the uses in:

Agriculture -- The increase in the volume and quality of grains and cereals has been vastly improved by selectively growing superior strains labeled by radioactive isotopes. These improvements are helping to alleviate famine in third world countries.

Environmental Measurements -- The movement of pollutants through the environment -- its ground waters and rivers -- can be accurately measured by the use of radioactive tracers.

Eradication of Pests -- A number of pest flies are no longer the problem that they were in California since their numbers have been cut drastically following the release of sterile male flies in the region.

Food -- Food, such as beef and chicken, that has been sterilized by irradiation has a longer shelf life and is free of E. coli -- a bacterium that has killed several children as a result of eating poorly cooked fast food hamburgers. An extension of food irradiation could save the lives of many children and would be particularly useful in developing countries where refrigeration is not available.

Generation of Electricity -- Over 440 nuclear plants around the world contribute some 16% of the world's electrical energy needs. 109 plants in the U.S. contributed 22% of the US's consumption of electricity in 2000.

Medical Diagnostics -- The use of radiation in the medical world extends from X-rays, through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to the use of radioactive tracers to diagnose such varied conditions as faulty thyroid glands or bone problems. The use of radioactive tracers often takes the place of invasive surgical diagnosis.

Oil Drilling -- Isotopes are used to measure the quality of steam before it is injected into almost defunct oil wells to force out residual supplies.

Polymerization of Plastics -- Plastics can be polymerized by radiation instead of damaging heat treatments. The polymerized plastics are used in such applications as car dashboards, which would, otherwise, crack badly under heat in the summer.

Quality Control of Metal Parts -- The integrity of metal parts such as aircraft engine turbine blades can be verified by radiophotography on a conveyor belt instead of having to destroy a sampling of blades to ensure they are intact.

Research in Biology -- The use of radioactive tracers allows the non-invasive tracking of elements and drugs through the body for both metabolic studies and medicine.

Space Power -- When small amounts of power are needed in space in regions in which solar power is inefficient (on the dark side or when large solar panels are impossible), plutonium batteries are ideal producers of compact energy.

Treatment of Cancers -- Cancerous cells can be selectively killed by the use of radioactivity, either in the form of directed beams, as for breast cancer, or as radioactive bullets that are designed to migrate directly to the cancerous cells that need killing. The only alternative, chemotherapy, which involves the use of invasive drugs, is a very difficult alternative for the patient.

And the list of beneficial uses of radiation goes on and on. Our society depends on its assistance in so many aspects of our daily life.

Source: American Nuclear Society (ANS)