Chemistry and radioactivity: a century after Marie Curie

Coupling chemistry and radioactivity has led to radiochemistry, the part of chemistry dealing with the behaviour of radioactive materials. Many activities are of concern, as well in basic research as in the fields of health and energy. They call researches going from the study of the extremely diluted radioactive material (environment) until that of the most man-made radioactive material ever produced (spent nuclear fuel from reactors). When radiochemistry is not the mirror of the traditional chemistry, it uses in radioactive surroundings its own methods based on the measurement of the emitted rays. Radiochemistry will have in the next decades a major input to prepare the nuclear energy of the future. (author)