ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
Kuniki Hata, Hiroyuki Inoue, Takao Kojima, Akihiro Iwase, Shigeki Kasahara, Satoshi Hanawa, Fumiyoshi Ueno, Takashi Tsukada
Nuclear Technology | Volume 193 | Number 3 | March 2016 | Pages 434-443
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT15-32
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Gamma radiolysis experiments on solutions of a mixture of sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium bromide (NaBr) were conducted to confirm the validity of radiolysis calculations for simulated seawater solutions and to determine the importance of bromide anion (Br−) in the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via water radiolysis. The H2O2 concentration in each solution was measured after irradiation and compared with that obtained from radiolysis calculations. It was found that the calculated and experimental results were in good agreement. The concentration of H2O2 in a 0.6 M NaCl solution increased approximately three times on the addition of 1 mM NaBr. The result showed that Br− plays an important role in the production of H2O2 by water radiolysis, presumably through the reactions of Br− with hydroxyl radical (●OH). For 1 mM NaCl solutions, there is a minimum production rate of H2O2 at pH 8, which increases when the pH changes to either lower or higher values. It was considered that the hydrated electron also plays an important role in H2O2 production under these acidic and alkaline conditions.