Through the application of nuclear techniques, we can perceive and learn more about the world we live in. From the analysis of complex polymers in household paints to the investigation of millennia-old artefacts, nuclear science has the potential to reveal new details about consumer goods, geological formations and ancient statues, to name just a few. Recent years have witnessed a growth in the demand for this analytical potential, particularly in the field of organic, biological and biomedical materials.
Lebanon is one of many countries that have built their capacities in nuclear analytical techniques with the support of the IAEA's technical cooperation (TC) programme. Underlining the value of these techniques, the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission (LAEC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) to develop quality-control testing for banknotes and coins. The IAEA will act as an advisor and will support capacity-building efforts in order to help prevent counterfeit or forged currency from circulating in the country.
Mr. Souheil Bawji (Secretary General of the Council of Ministers), Mr. Mouin Hamze (Secretary General, CNRS), Mr. Bilal Nsouli (General Director, LAEC), Mrs. Alice Bejjani (Researcher, LAEC), Mr. Riad Salame (Governor of the BDL), Mr. Raed Sharafeddine (1st Deputy Governor, BDL) and Mr. Mazen Hamdan (Executive Director, Cash Operation Department, BDL) participated in the signature ceremony.
The Memorandum of Understanding, which focuses on the development of analytical protocols using nuclear and complementary techniques to perform quality-control testing on banknotes and coins, was signed by the LAEC and the BDL on November 12, 2014, under the patronage of His Excellency, the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Tammam Salam. The Memorandum will ensure cooperation between the LAEC, BDL and IAEA in the implementation of specific analysis on counterfeited banknotes to characterize the counterfeiting techniques used, and will provide the basis for conducting performance and durability studies on banknotes to improve their lifespan.
By implementing complementary national projects in Lebanon, the IAEA has helped to lay down the foundation for the success of this cooperation between the Bank and the LAEC. In 2009, for instance, a technical cooperation TC project1 was initiated to build capacities in the use of broad-spectrum chemical and structural analyses using nuclear techniques, particularly in the fields of biomedicine, biomaterials, and polymers. Through a series of expert missions, workshops and several IAEA Fellowships, the project helped to introduce new, highly-precise nuclear applications in the field of forensic sciences, which in turn have produced measurable economic impacts.
A similar project2 to develop expertise in the 'Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry' method (TOF-SIMS), which facilitates the characterization of printed banknotes, paint layers, pharmaceuticals and polymers, has been running since 2012. Not only were training courses conducted to ensure the appropriate capacities existed among the staff of the LAEC laboratories, the IAEA also supported the purchase of analytical equipment, including an atomic force microscope, secondary electron microscopes, and spin-coating apparatuses.
1 LEB/2/007
2 LEB/1/008