Natural and artificial radioactivity both shape our environment. Natural sources include cosmic radiation and primordial radionuclides in rocks and soils, such as Uranium, Thorium and Potassium. Among these, Radon is the main contributor to public radiation exposure and a major (indoor) health hazard. Artificial radionuclides, released through nuclear practices, accidents and legacy contamination, represent an additional source of radioactivity and an often long-lasting burden to environmental health.
Monitoring both natural and artificial radioactivity is essential for mapping high-hazard areas and guiding decontamination strategies while minimizing direct personnel exposure. At the same time, it poses significant challenges, driving innovation in detection technologies, portable instrumentation, and advanced analytical methods. Beyond surveillance, natural radioactivity also serves as a powerful tracer for investigating ecosystems, groundwater flow systems, understanding geological processes, surface water-groundwater interactions and exploring environmental dynamics across multiple scales. Environmental radioactivity monitoring is evolving from manual approaches to proactive, autonomous and data-driven methodologies. Artificial Intelligence, robotics and UAVs are expanding the possibilities of data collection and analysis: robotic platforms enable detailed environmental mapping in complex settings, while UAVs equipped with advanced sensors provide rapid, large-scale and 3D observations.
This session embraces all the aspects and challenges of environmental radioactivity including geological surveys, mineral exploration, atmospheric, groundwater contamination, radon hazard and risk assessment. We particularly welcome studies exploring the use of natural and/or fallout radionuclides as environmental tracers, their applications to ecosystem dynamics, and their impact on public health, including challenges related to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). Equally encouraged are contributions presenting innovative methodologies and instrumentation for radioactivity monitoring.