R&D 100 winner of the day: CoDeAc

Speed is of the essence in radiological response to prevent the spread of contamination. CoDeAc (Colorimetric Detection of Actinides), from Idaho National Laboratory, allows crucial decisions to be made quickly during an event. The CoDeAc pack has no equal in the rapid detection of actinides and is capable of on-site deployment, making it the go-to tool for first responders during a radiation dispersal device terrorist event or for nuclear facility maintenance personnel conducting routine checks at a power station. CoDeAc's color change in the presence of very low concentrations of uranium and plutonium gives a go/no-go result in seconds, allowing these professionals to make decisions based on actual data instead of assumptions on-site. These decisions impact everyone and can mean the difference between evacuating hundreds of thousands of people within square miles or just 100 people within a square block during a radiological event. CoDeAc protects the public by making it possible to discover a problem when it is small and can be managed.