Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory operates within the Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Division of Environmental Health Sciences. The Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory cooperates with other New York State agencies such as the Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection, Bureau of Water Supply Protection, as well as with the US Food and Drug Administration for radiological food protection.
Mandated Radiological Surveillance in New York State
The surveillance program assesses exposure of the population to ionizing radiation and involves monitoring of radioactivity in the environment around nuclear power plants, waste sites, as well as monitoring of drinking water supplies for gross alpha/beta, radium, and uranium.
Emergency Response
Radiological emergency response focuses on response to accidents and incidents involving ionizing radiation related to commercial and healthcare usage of radiation, radiological food protection, potential large accidents related to energy production, as well as potential terrorist threats involving radioactivity such as dirty bombs.
Research in Radiological Sciences
- Develop improved and faster laboratory methods of quantifying radioactivity to serve the above-mentioned programs.
- Develop statistical and modeling tools to quantify radioactivity in the environment and improve the decision methodology.
- Develop new and more sensitive methods to detect ionizing radiation in environmental, food, and bioassay samples, such as alpha and gamma spectrometry, liquid scintillation counting, and radon detection.
- Develop new methods to separate specific radionuclides from complex matrices.
Education
The Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory teaches principles and laboratory courses in radiation sciences for the University at Albany, College of Integrated Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Sciences Program by providing:
EHS 690 Laboratory Rotations
EHS 540 Principles of Radiation Sciences
EHS 541 Radioactivity Measurements Laboratory
Accreditations
- NELAP – E37911
- NYS ELAP – 10762
- EPA – NY00005
Radon
Information including frequently asked questions, testing, mitigation, laws and regulations and radon level maps and statistics can be found at the NYS Department of Health's Radon Page.
Additional information about the Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory.
Featured Publications
Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory Connects with Ontario’s Radiation Protection Services Laboratory
On October 22, 2026, staff from the Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory met with colleagues from Ontario, Canada’s Radiation Protection Services Laboratory, a provincial laboratory operated by the Government of Ontario, to establish a relationship between similar programs.
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The Wadsworth Center's Dr. Sherry Faye Presents Invited Talk During the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Chemistry Summer School at Brookhaven National Laboratory
On July 15, 2026, Dr. Sherry Faye, Director of the Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory (NCL), served as an invited guest speaker at the U.S. Department of Energy and American Chemical Society-sponsored Nuclear Chemistry Summer School (NCSS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This highly selective six-week program is designed to introduce undergraduate students to graduate programs and careers in nuclear science. Dr. Faye presented an overview of the NCL’s mission and capabilities, including
READ MORE about The Wadsworth Center's Dr. Sherry Faye Presents Invited Talk During the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Chemistry Summer School at Brookhaven National Laboratory 
Wadsworth Center Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory Hosts Training for Staff from Three States April 27-29, 2026
The Wadsworth Center Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory (NCL) hosted laboratory professionals from Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Vermont from April 27-29, 2026, through the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) peer-to-peer exchange program. The APHL exchange program is designed to strengthen the nation’s radiochemistry laboratory network by providing state and local laboratory professionals with opportunities to engage in hands-on technical training and knowledge exchange with peers from leading public health laboratories across the country.
READ MORE about Wadsworth Center Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory Hosts Training for Staff from Three States April 27-29, 2026 
Wadsworth’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences Hosts 2026 EPA Region 2 State/Territory Laboratory Group Meeting
On February 10, 2026, the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS) hosted the 2026 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 State/Territory Laboratory Group Meeting at the Biggs Laboratory facility at Empire State Plaza. The annual meeting convenes environmental laboratory leaders and partners from federal, state, and territorial agencies across EPA Region 2, which spans New York to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
READ MORE about Wadsworth’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences Hosts 2026 EPA Region 2 State/Territory Laboratory Group Meeting 
Wadsworth Center Well Represented at Radiobioassay and Radiochemical Measurements Conference
The Wadsworth Center had a strong presence at the 68th Annual Radiobioassay and Radiochemical Measurements Conference, held the week of November 2, 2025, in Idaho Falls. This annual meeting serves as a leading scientific forum for advancing technologies in the detection, measurement, and analysis of radioactive materials.
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Recent Wadsworth Center Study Highlights Advancements in Detecting Trace Levels of Uranium and Plutonium in Drinking Water
The Safe Drinking Water Act sets stringent standards for the detection of radioactive contaminants in public water systems. A new study from the Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory explores how these requirements might be exceeded through improved analytical sensitivity.
READ MORE about Recent Wadsworth Center Study Highlights Advancements in Detecting Trace Levels of Uranium and Plutonium in Drinking Water Invited Guest Speaker at Brookhaven National Laboratory
On June 25, 2025, Dr. Sherry Faye, Technical Director of the Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory (NCL), served as an invited guest speaker at the U.S. Department of Energy and American Chemical Society-sponsored Nuclear Chemistry Summer School (NCSS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This highly selective six-week program is designed to introduce undergraduate students to careers in nuclear science. Dr. Faye presented an overview of the NCL’s mission and capabilities, including:
READ MORE about Invited Guest Speaker at Brookhaven National Laboratory 
Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory - Environmental Research at the Wadsworth Center
On July 15, 2025, Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory (NCL), within the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, onboarded their third Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) fellow in the past three years.
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