Term: radioactive tracer technique https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05090 Definition: A technique for investigating recovery and loss of a microcomponent, in which a radioactively-labelled element or compound chemically identical with the microcomponent is added to the sample before preconcentration and its behaviour is followed by sensitive, rapid and selective radioactivity measurements. Related Terms: 1) recovery (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05206). 2) preconcentration (in trace analysis) (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04803). 3) radioactivity (in trace analysis) (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05092). Source: PAC, 1979, 51, 1195. 'Separation and Preconcentration of Trace Substances. I-Preconcentration for Inorganic Trace Analysis' on page 1200 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197951051195) Citation: 'radioactive tracer technique' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05090 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.