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Use of Radioactive Materials in Commercial Applications Has Increased by 30 Percent; Government Should Improve Security and Support Development of Alternatives, Says New Report
2021/07/07

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has published a report mentioning that the use of high-risk radioactive materials in medical, research, and commercial applications has increased by about 30 percent in the U.S. in the last 12 years, and the government should improve security, tracking, and accountability to reduce health and security risks — while also supporting the development of nonradioactive alternatives to replace them. —. The report refers to the publication entitled ‘Radioactive Sources: Applications and Alternative Technologies’ which mentions that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) system for categorizing and regulating these radioactive materials fails to adequately protect society, and should be overhauled to take into account the long-term health impacts and socio-economic effects of possible misuse or malicious use — such as in a “dirty bomb” scenario.

 

Radioactive materials are used commercially in a wide range of applications, such as treating blood before transfusion, sterilizing medical devices, treating cancer, exploring geological formations, and finding oil and gas deposits. The responsibility of securing these materials falls to the universities, hospitals, and commercial facilities that use them. If these materials are mishandled, or if they are used maliciously, they have the potential to cause billions of dollars of damage. There would be a huge economic impact, large scale cleanups, and loss of access to affected areas — even if only small amounts of the material are involved.

 

A previous National Academies report on commercial applications of radiological materials published in 2008 called on the government to accelerate the replacement of cesium chloride — a material of greater concern than other radiological sources — because it was widely used, soluble, and dispersible, and therefore could potentially be used in terrorism. The new report published  finds some progress has been made since 2008 in replacing cesium irradiators with X-ray technology for blood treatment and research. However, no progress has been made in replacing cesium chloride from applications such as calibration systems used for radiation monitoring equipment.

 

To read more please visit:

https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2021/06/use-of-radioactive-materials-in-commercial-applications-has-increased-by-30-percent-government-should-improve-security-and-support-development-of-alternatives-says-new-report

Source: The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine