核环境科学研究所是目前国内能够系统、全面开展核环境科学研究的综合性研究机构，主要开展流出物及环境监测；污染物在不同介质（大气、土壤、地表水、地下水、生物）中的扩散、迁移、转移规律；核设施和辐射环境影响评价技术和方法；污染场地的整治和生物修复技术；核事故应急和后果评价；核环境安全保障等方面的科学研究。下设大气环境研究室、水环境研究室、放射生态研究室、评价技术研究室、环境安全研究室、分析测试中心等研究部门。生态环境部重点实验室—国家环境保护辐射环境与健康重点实验室、中国核工业集团公司的核工业环境监测与评价中心、核工业辐射环境模拟与评价技术重点实验室、核工业太原环境分析测试中心等相关研究单位也设在该所，拥有野外试验基地（我国唯一获国家环境保护行政主管部门批准，可以在包气带、含水层开展放射性野外示踪试验的研究设施）、大气边界层风洞、地下水及地表水模拟试验装置、放射性人工气候室、气溶胶沉积实验室、水生生态实验室、污染物分析测量实验室及一批大型实验设施和先进仪器设备。

　　Department of Nuclear Environmental Science is  the institutions which are able to carry out scientific research systematically and comprehensively on nuclear environment. Its research is mainly on the effluent and environmental monitoring; pollutant migration, diffusion and transfer in different media (air, soil，surface water, groundwater, organism); assessment technology and methods on nuclear facilities and radiation environmental impacts; environmental renovation and bioremediation technology of contaminated sites; nuclear accident emergency response and consequence assessment; nuclear environment safety and other aspects of scientific research. The Department is composed of Atmospheric Environment Research Laboratory, Water Environment Research Laboratory, Radiation Ecology Laboratory, Nuclear Environmental Safety and Remediation Technology Laboratory and Analysis & Test Center. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Center of CNNC, Nuclear Environment Simulation and Assessment Technology Key Laboratory, Nuclear Industry Taiyuan Environmental Analysis & Test Center and other research units are also located here. The Department possesses a field test base (the only one approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, where radioactive tracer experiment can be carried out in the vadose zone and aquifer), the atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel, groundwater and surface water simulation test device, the radioactive artificial climate chamber, radioactive aerosol deposition laboratory and aquatic ecology laboratory, pollutant analysis and measurement laboratories and a large number of experimental facilities and advanced equipment.