Conference on Radiation Applications
Have you ever wondered how an aircraft is checked to ensure it is safe, without disassembling it? Why medical products undergo irradiation? Or how radiation can help turn plastic waste into new, high value goods?
Advancements in exciting topics like these were highlighted at the IAEA’s Third International Conference on Applications of Radiation Science and Technology (#ICARST2025), which was held in Vienna.
“Radiation technology improves lives every day—from safer food and medical tools to cleaner environments,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who opened the event. “It sterilizes half of all medical equipment, protects food from parasites and spoilage, and can even help beat plastic pollution,” he added. “Yet, in many places, access to these tools is still limited. To change that, we must tackle barriers in infrastructure, awareness, and financing—so no country is left out.”
With a focus on sustainable innovation, the discussions considered the current state of radiation technology programmes in academia and industry, explored new research frontiers and discussed principles for radiation-based solutions for socio-economic development. Particular attention was paid to the sectors of food, health, water and industry, innovation and infrastructure, taking into account responsible consumption and production, and climate change measures.
A key topic was radiation technologies for medical applications, including sterilization processes and tissue banking. The role of these technologies in ensuring food safety was also considered.
It is well-known that at the 2023 World Food Forum in Rome the IAEA and FAO launched the Atoms4Food Initiative to help countries improve food security and fight hunger through the innovative use of nuclear technology.
It is recommended that the action plan of the person responsible for food safety in each country include organizational planning procedures for programmes like Atoms4Food.
The Atoms for Food Equipment programme directly tackles the question of how to implement food safety programmes using specialized equipment for food treatment with ionizing radiation (E-beam and X-Ray). Food processing technologies using specialized equipment, presented within the framework of the Atoms for Food Equipment programme, make it possible to destroy insects and their larvae, as well as pathogenic microorganisms with ionizing radiation and subsequently increase the shelf life of products.
Read more about Atoms for Food Equipment programme on our website: