Welcome!
Welcome to the Radiological Science and Engineering Group website! We conduct applied research in health physics and nuclear engineering to protect human health from the harmful effects of radioactive materials. Our group includes approximately 30 full-time research professionals. More than two-thirds of our staff hold advanced degrees.
Our internationally known capabilities, including our unique laboratories, allow us to solve a wide variety of problems related to nuclear power production, environmental management and cleanup, nuclear nonproliferation, national defense, and homeland security. Our clients include the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Defense, Hanford site contractors, and private industrial clients. We also work with national and international commissions, agencies, and professional societies, such as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the American Society for Testing and Materials, the Health Physics Society, and the American Nuclear Society.
Some of our current and recent projects include:
- treaty verification as part of DOE's international nuclear non-proliferation efforts
- technical support and policy analysis regarding the disposition of weapons-grade plutonium, for Department of Energy
- radiation dose reconstruction and risk assessment for Russian nuclear workers and the Russian public for DOE
- emergency preparedness systems and plans for DHS
- performance standards and testing of hand-held radiation detection devices used by first-responders for DHS
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Decontamination and Decommissioning of the Fast Flux Test Facility at Hanford for DOE
- EISs for the relicensing of existing nuclear power plants and the siting of new nuclear power plants for NRC
- collection and analysis of aerosol data on depleted uranium to assess the human health impacts of DU aerosols under battlefield conditions, for the U.S. Army
- analyses of the transport, fate, and deposition of radioactive materials released from the demolition of buildings on the Hanford site, for DOE
- assistance to the Italian government on decontaminating and decommissioning nuclear power reactors and siting a waste repository for the spent fuel
- research on and application of optically stimulated luminescence for radiation dosimeters and medical diagnostic applications for industrial and government clients
- installation of radiation detection portal monitors at seaports across the U.S., for DHS.
The Radiological Science and Engineering Group is part of the Radiological & Nuclear Division in the Energy Environment Directorate (EED) of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is located in Richland, Washington, and is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.