A handheld Raman spectrometer was used as a sensor for the detection of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3, AN), fuel oil (FO), AN-water solutions, and AN-soil mixtures deposited on materials such as glass and tape to simulate the field conditions of explosive detection. AN is an inorganic oxidizing salt that is commonly used in mining explosives. A significant explosive mixture is Ammonium nitrate-fuel oil (ANFO). However, owing to its widespread accessibility, AN-based explosives are also utilized for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The portable Raman system with a laser operating at 785 nm wavelength is used to analyze simulated sites manipulated with IEDs. Characteristic Raman bands from AN were found at 710 cm-1 and 1050 cm-1 , and 1440-1470 cm-1 for FO. The relative limit of detection of AN in water was less than 0.1%.

The potential consequences of a nuclear security event could be catastrophic; therefore, all appropriate measures should be taken to prevent them. Detection, as one of nuclear security's functions, involves recognizing criminal or unauthorized acts with nuclear security implications, or measurements indicating the unauthorized presence of nuclear or other radioactive material at associated facilities, activities, or strategic locations. Determining natural background radiation in advance for such locations can certainly enhance the effectiveness of nuclear security detection architecture. In this research, measurements of natural background radiation were conducted at 324 points evenly distributed throughout the City of Kruševac, Serbia, including locations and objects most vulnerable to exploitation by potential adversaries. The ambient dose equivalent rate was determined using a handheld radioisotope identification device based on scintillation gamma spectroscopy and mapped using geostatistical software. The measured dose rates fell within the expected ranges for Serbia, as well as for the broader region and worldwide. No orphan sources were detected. Statistical tests indicated a significant difference in dose rate values between paved and unpaved urban surfaces. Furthermore, the most common false positives in radioisotope identification were ascertained. It is concluded that utilizing the methodology applied in this work for collecting readings and spectra on natural background radiation proved to be a cost-efficient means of facilitating the assessment of alarms or alerts, as well as detecting the presence of suspicious or unauthorized nuclear or radioactive material in the environment.