How was George de Hevesy awarded the Noble Prize?

George de Hevesy had an extremely successful year. He discovered the samarium alpha-ray and created the X-ray fluorescence analysis technique. He started using radioactive isotopes in this experiment to track molecules in the body by substituting small amounts of the stable isotopes. This allowed him to analyze the metabolic processes of plants and animals. The first research on the application of naturally radioactive 212 Pb as a radioactive tracer to monitor absorption and translocation in the roots, stems, and leaves of Vicia faba, widely known as the broad bean, was published by Hevesy in 1923. Later, in 1943, Hevesy would win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on radioactive tracing.