Weiss Lecture

Summary

The radiation chemistry of water is sufficiently well known under ambient conditions that it is widely used to study the chemistry of free radicals in aqueous solution. One topical application described here is the hydroxyl radical-driven oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid in cloudwater to form acid rain. Another area of current interest is the effects of radiation on the cooling water of pressurized water reactors at ca. 300°C. In studying these effects new information is also being gained on the fundamental processes in the radiation chemistry of water and on the kinetics of fast reactions.