4. Application field

Apart from the use of nuclear energy for the supply of electricity, the applications of radioactivity are numerous in many areas: medical physics, earth sciences, industry and preservation of cultural heritage.

The properties used for these various applications are:


#### 4.1 Medical physics applications

The major application of radiation in medicine is radiotherapy and/or treatment by ionizing radiation. A few months after the discovery of X-rays, there is over a century, it has become clear that biological action radiation could be used in the

Gamma Rays: Applications in Environmental Gamma Dosimetry and Determination Samples… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85503

treatment of cancers. Cancers cells divided more quickly are more sensitive, than normal cells to ionizing radiation. By sending these cells a certain dose of radiation, it is possible to kill them and eliminate the tumor.
