DESPITE the fact that nuclear technologies are commonly used worldwide few people know that besides energy production there are many other ways of using the peaceful atom in our daily life. In particular, there is a lack of awareness not only about nuclear technologies in general, but about radiation and its benefits among people all over the world, especially in the countries where nuclear industry is just beginning to develop. Saudi Arabia is now among countries, which are on the threshold of the nuclear energy development. In recent years Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has engaged in active research in the field of nuclear energy and is preparing to implement large-scale projects in the area of nuclear and renewable energy applications in the country. The Kingdom has concluded cooperation agreements on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful uses with many countries, including European, Asian and others. It is important to note, that nowadays the radiation technologies are widely used and can be applied in such industries as agriculture, medicine and even cultural heritage. In particular, they are effectively used for sterilization of medical waste and tools, food processing and seawater desalination. Let's take a closer look at the benefits of the nuclear technologies and radiation in particular. In need of drinking water One of the most interesting and relevant for Middle East region use of radiation technologies is “nuclear desalination”. This term means the production of drinking water in a facility where the nuclear reactor is used as the source of energy for the desalination process. The nuclear plant can be designed exclusively for the production of drinking water or for simultaneous generation of electricity and production of drinking water. Now it is planned to construct such an integrate project in Egypt as the part of cooperation with Russia in the nuclear field. The nuclear power plant will be combined with blocks of water desalination. This technology has been already tested over the years. Originally it was implemented in 1970s in Soviet Union. In due time atomic energy complex in Kazakhstan located on the Peninsula of the Caspian Sea successfully worked for more than 30 years and was the only nuclear desalination plant in the world which delivered the fresh water to Shevchenko city. The facility produced up to 120,000 cubic meters of fresh water per day. Radiation also saves lives Though, most people are still unaware, but nowadays the peaceful atom is used to produce radioisotopes for diagnosis and therapy of the severest illnesses. Over 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine. The nuclear imaging diagnostic allows to obtain very useful for detecting tumors or problems in the functioning of vital organs and radiotherapy with curative intent really lifesaving information. First of all it is the cancer, which in the developed countries provokes about 20% of total number of deaths. Early detection, as is known, is extremely important in oncology cases, and almost 90% of all detection procedures are performed with the use of radioisotopes. Gamma irradiation is also used to sterilize surgical items, eliminate pathogens of hospital waste and sewage. The latter, in turn, facilitates the safe reuse of water for irrigation in desert areas. Application of radiation in agriculture Nuclear technologies are also widely used in agriculture and food industry. About 25% of all food worldwide is harmed after harvesting by the bacteria, insects and rodents. Contaminated meat and poultry causes up to 95% of food-borne diseases. Today environmentally safe radiation treatment is used in more than 50 countries for decontamination of food. Furthermore radiation as a highly beneficial conservation method that reduces the use of chemical fertilizers for food preservation. Irradiating fruits makes them last longer because it eliminates the need for minimizing parasitic cooling. This, for example, allows different countries to export fine fruits (as apricots and peaches) in optimal conditions and avoid food wastage (combat pests), which is very important considering food problems in many regions. Ionizing irradiation of foods is recommended by the World Health Organization for being friendly to the environment and ensure the health of foodstuffs technique. As historical purposes The preservation of cultural heritage artifacts using irradiation is a little known but highly effective application of nuclear technology. Irradiation methods are used to preserve historical documents, determine the age of archaeological and verify the authenticity of works of art. One of the major factors leading to the corruption of cultural heritage, such as old books and paintings, is the devastating impact of microorganisms, mold and insects. Ionizing radiation has a high penetrating power. For instance, the researches proved that the irradiation dose of 15 kilogray is enough for to clean up paper from mold. Irradiation projects of The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) range from the disinfection of wooden churches and ancient books in Romania, to the characterization of jewelry (by X ray fluorescence), woven cloth and coins housed at the Shirvanshah Palace in Azerbaijan. Moreover in 2010, a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth, named ‘Khroma' after the Siberian river where it was found by a hunter in 2008, underwent irradiation treatment at a nuclear institute in France to clear it of bacteria that had contaminated this prehistoric specimen. Security systems Just a few people know that radiation technology is used in security systems. X-ray machines with ultra-low radiation dose used in airports or in crowded places to eliminate the risk of terrorist acts. A real-world example is the experience of the Russian state Atomic Corporation Rosatom in providing of security for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Rosatom did a difficult work by providing the access control on competition venues and the Olympic infrastructure facilities (Olympic village, media centers, and the hotel IOC). Herewith, it is not just the turnstiles and metal detectors; it is the whole system of identification of participants. By the way, more than a million people passed through the Olympic Park without any discomfort. — The writer is the director of the International Business Department of ROSATOM
