Radiological threatsUse of Radioactive Materials in Commercial Applications Has Increased
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 — says a new report.
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 — says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Radioactive Sources: Applications and Alternative Technologies says 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 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 in economic impact, cleanup, 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 replacement of cesium chloride — a material of greater concern than other radiological sources — because it was widely used, soluble, and dispersible, and therefore at risk of being used in terrorism. The new report published today 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.
“It is clear that more work needs to be done to encourage and support universities, hospitals, and industry to voluntarily replace their radioactive materials with safer alternatives,” said Thomas Kroc, chair of the committee that wrote the report, and applications physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. “Our recommendations call for enhancing security and accountability around these sources until replacements come to market, which for certain applications could take a decade or more.”
