Lasers, atom traps, krypton. These exciting, isotope hydrology techniques were discussed, together with the importance of big data, during the IAEA’s International Symposium on Isotope Hydrology that took place in Vienna this week.

The IAEA has launched a five-year research project with experts from 16 countries to refine methods to apply nuclear-derived techniques to test for accuracy in food labels. 

In 2018, Cape Town was close to becoming the first major city in the world to run out of water. South African experts are using isotopic techniques to understand water resources and try to avoid another drought.