Foreword of the 4th International Symposium on Nuclear Analytical Chemistry (NAC-IV)

The Fourth International Symposium on Nuclear Analytical Chemistry (NAC-IV) was organized at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, India during November 15–19, 2010. NAC-IV was held in India for the first time. Previous three NAC symposia (NAC I-III) were held in Canada; Halifax (1985), Toronto (1992) and Halifax (2001). These symposia are organized periodically to provide a forum to exchange information on recent developments and applications of nuclear analytical chemistry. The NAC-IV symposium was sponsored by the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India, and co-organized by the Indian Association of Nuclear Chemists and Allied Scientists (IANCAS). About 300 delegates from various units of DAE & Academic Institutes in India and 27 overseas delegates from 13 different countries participated in NAC-IV. Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, then Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, DAE, Government of India, inaugurated NAC-IV and Dr. R. K. Sinha, Chairman, AEC (then Direcor, BARC) presided over the inaugural session. Dr. Banerjee in his keynote address spoke about some interesting applications of analytical techniques in general and the role of nuclear analytical techniques (NATs) in particular in both R&D and nuclear reactor technology. Dr. Sinha emphasized the role of different NATs including neutron activation analysis (NAA) and prompt gamma ray NAA (PGNAA) in various programs of BARC and DAE, and also gave a brief account of the nuclear analytical facilities at BARC. Dr. Banerjee released the Book of Abstracts of NAC-IV and Dr. Sinha released the IANCAS Special Bulletin. Dr. A. V. R. Reddy, Head, Analytical Chemistry Division, BARC, and Convener, organizing Committee and Co-Chairman of the NAC-IV Technical Committee welcomed the delegates and outlined the theme of NAC-IV. Dr. V. Venugopal, Chairman of NAC-IV and then Director, Radiochemistry and Isotopes (RC&I) Group, BARC, emphasized that NATs using reactor and accelerator facilities were very important to obtain results with high precision and accuracy. Prof. A. Chatt of Dalhousie University, Canada, President of the NAC symposia series as well as the Co-Chairman of the NAC-IV Technical Committee, gave a brief account of the main objectives of these symposia. He informed that the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry (JRNC), has agreed to publish the peer-reviewed full papers of NAC-IV in two issues of JRNC. Dr. R. Acharya, RCD, BARC and Secretary of NAC-IV proposed a vote of thanks. The scope of NAC-IV included conventional and prompt gamma-ray activation analysis, alpha, X-ray & gamma-ray spectrometry, nuclear analytical chemistry in nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear track techniques, nuclear probes and ion beam analysis techniques, radioisotope tracer methodologies, speciation studies, QA/QC in measurements, applications of NATs to archaeological, biological, environmental, geological, industrial, nutritional, nuclear and pharmaceutical materials, nuclear forensics and safety studies. The technical program consisted of 30 invited talks A. V. R. Reddy Analytical Chemistry Division, BARC, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India e-mail: avreddy@barc.gov.in