| Previous  | TOC | Forward |

he nuclear branch of our country came into being in 1976 and the restoration of Dalat Nuclear Reactor fulfilled at the end of 1983 has created the outstanding development in science research and application in this field. Nowadays, nuclear technology has been applied efficiently in a variety of branches. 

1. Application in Medical Science:

Co-60 radiation source with high activity used in radio-active treatment have been applied in some domestic hospitals since 1960. In 1971, the Nuclear Medical Department was founded with some simple

measurement and diagnosis equipment. Since March 1984, when Dalat Nuclear Reactor was put into operation and allowed to produce isotopes and radio-active medical substances, the number of Nuclear Medical Departments has increased rapidly and at present, throughout the country, more than 30 departments have been founded with modern equipment such as Gamma Camera Projector, CT scanner. On the average, each month, about 100 patients (in small-scaled departments) and 1000 patients (in large-scaled departments) are diagnosed and treated.

The major kinds of isotopes produced at the Nuclear Reactor are the P-32 affixing sheet to cure skin diseases, the I-131 in injection or oral form to diagnose and treat diseases of the thyroid gland, Tc-99m and other medical substances in the form of kit in-vitro marked with Tc-99m to detect abnormal tumors in the brain, diagnose the functions and diseases of the body's organs such as kidney, liver, lung, digestion system. The immune kit in-vitro T3, T4 radiation is produced and used in some hospitals. Annually, about 150 Ci radio-active substances of all kinds are produced in Dalat Nuclear Reactor to provide for hospitals. 

2. Application in Industry:

Radio-active sources and nuclear equipment are used to build measurement system and automation in assembly lines of factories such as measuring the level of material mixture tanks of cement and paper factories, estimating the level of beer and soft drink bottles, estimating the humidity and paper density in paper factories, building radio-active measurement systems in oil wells of the petroleum industry.

The advantages of the nuclear technology are that it does not influence the working process of technological system, allows measurement in high temperature and pressure conditions and with toxic medical solutions. The marking isotope radiation technique is used widely, for example, in optimizing the process and time of mixing waste materials in the lines of factories. In petroleum exploitation field, radiation-marked technique is used to determine pressure pumping water section in pressure pumping wells, flood phenomenon in Bach Ho oil wells.

The inspection technique without destroying samples is one of the specific directions, for example using the radiation-transmitting method to photograph and check the weld quality of metal tubes, to investigate the inside quality of industrial towers with the diameter of up to 4 m, and the height of up to 30 m, to check the stake quality of construction projects; using the opposite radiation method to determine the quality of road construction, etc. 

3. Application of nuclear technology in agriculture:

Researching the use of Gamma radiation connecting with other agents to improve plant seeds, using marked isotopes to do research on biological processes such as the nourishing problem of plants and animals have been performed by the Nuclear branch cooperating with other branches for years. Researches into projecting radiation on some plant seeds (corn, potatoes, rice, some kinds of flowers, mulberry, etc.) at stimulating or mutating doses to create seeds with higher productivity or more suitable to the harsh environmental conditions, researching the process of in-vitro asexual seed multiplication, growing in a culture medium the cells of some species of flowers, specialty plants and precious forest trees have been carried out.

Application of nuclear technology in growing mushrooms is a practical achievement. The research results allow selecting, growing and transferring technology of growing rare kinds of mushrooms to peasants in order to make use of agricultural waste. Besides, using nuclear technology to process agricultural waste such as straw, megass to make animal food or substances for microorganism fertilizer has also been applied. 

4. Application of nuclear technology to do research on natural processes:

Environmental radiation together with radiation-marking technique are used to study the alluvial, filling, erosive, leaking processes, such as determining the moving process of the bottom alluvial layer of Hai Phong Harbor to study the direction, speed and depth of the moving alluvial layer for managers to preserve and dredge properly; estimating the speed and filling sources of the lake beds in Lam Dong area such as Tuyen Lam, Da Ham, Da Teh, West Di Ling, Chien Thang, Pro; determining the leaking position and speed of the water-containing lakes and hydroelectric dams of Hoa Binh, Tri An, Da Nhim; determining underground water sources and investigating pollution risks of some living water sources in some areas of the Southern provinces. 

5. Nuclear technology in environmental research and protection:

Research into environmental pollution using nuclear analyzing techniques allows observation of radio-active change and air, soil, water and ocean pollution in some areas of the country. At present, the whole country has three

 radio-active environmental observatories belonging to the network of 18 national environmental observatories allowing frequent observation of environmental radiation state in some representative land areas in the country. In addition, researches into the density of Cs-137 artificial radiation nuclei produced from weapon tests and nuclear accidents in the world influencing Viet Nam have been done.  

6. Application of Nuclear technology in sterilizing, preserving and changing the nature of materials:

 Using Gamma radiation with high intensity to sterilize, change the nature of materials, preserve food and agricultural products, improve living mass, manufacture some products by radiation, etc. Is researched and developed successfully in the Nuclear Branch. Our country presently has three Co-60 sources with different active levels (16.3 kCi in Dalat, 110 kCi in Hanoi and 400 kCi in Hochiminh City).

The radiation-projecting technique with high intensity to cut the veins of natural polymer to create new products is a progressive direction of application. T&D plant growth-stimulating product of the Nuclear Research Institution has been registered in the list of Vietnam's plant-protection substances. Films to cure burns produced from PVP and chitosan from shrimp and crab cover give good clinical testing results.

 7. Nuclear energy development serving the nation's industrialization and modernization:

The stable energy development policy with the basic content of diversifying energy sources is our Party and Government's concern. The Nuclear Sector has studied the building of nuclear power plants in long-term projects. Basing on scientific analysis, it is asserted that Vietnam certainly has adequate conditions to realize the nuclear electric project in the early years of the 21st century.

After nearly 25 years of formation and development, our country's Nuclear Branch is making effort to enter the new era. With the present ability and potentials, with the country's higher and higher needs for nuclear technology, Vietnam's Nuclear Branch will contribute more and more efficiently and practically to the nation's industrialization and modernization. 

DR. NGUYEN NHI DIEN

Director of Dalat Nuclear Research Institute

| Previous  | TOC | Forward |