SOURCE: IAEA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: November 2015, Seibersdorf, Austria
The IAEA’s Nuclear Material Laboratory (NML) receives, processes and analyses uranium and plutonium samples. These samples have been collected by inspectors at sensitive points of the nuclear fuel cycle, from the facilities where the uranium ore is concentrated, to the point in a reprocessing plant where the plutonium is separated from the spent nuclear fuel.
Uranium and plutonium are nuclear materials that can be used to produce electricity; however elements can be used to make a nuclear explosive device. Uranium occurs naturally, whereas plutonium is created from uranium in nuclear reactors.
They IAEA experts at the NML need to confirm if the uranium and plutonium content in the samples matches what a State has declared to the Agency and whether there is no indication of undeclared nuclear material or activities.