# Radiochemistry: Analytical Track 2: Alpha Expansion

> **NIH FDA U19** · MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH · 2020 · $150,000

## Abstract

SUMMARY: RADIOCHEMISTRY ANALYTICAL TRACK 2 (ALPHA EXPANSION) 
Food safety can be threatened by radioactive contamination: isotopes that are naturally present in 
environmental samples in low abundance can reach dangerously elevated levels through nuclear plant 
malfunctions, radiotherapeutic accidents, terrorism, or even rare natural phenomina. The core tenet of 
this large and multifaceted proposal is to contribute a comprehensive and integrated food protection 
laboratory hub to the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) that is capable of analyzing many 
different foods across a diversity of threat priorities. In addition to our capabilities, our goal relies on 
having the needed capacity to detect and identify a wide range of radionuclides in foods. Since 
the current FERN radiochemistry CAP grant is finishing its tenure in a few months, the Radiation section 
now seeks to be incorporated into the current multi-faceted cooperative agreement, and in doing so to 
expand its alpha spectrometry capacity by purchasing a second instrument and training 
additional personnel. This will strengthen and unify our involvement in FERN. Through this analytical 
track the laboratory will achieve the prescribed track Specific Aims.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10174020
- **Project number:** 1U19FD007084-01
- **Recipient organization:** MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** SINISA URBAN
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $150,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10174020

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10174020, Radiochemistry: Analytical Track 2: Alpha Expansion (1U19FD007084-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10174020. Licensed CC0.

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