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Every day, millions of radioactive devices are used by people in different industries, primarily to measure parameters such as moisture, density and thickness, to name a few. These instruments are essential in many industries from mining to medicine to manufacturing and contain different types of radioisotopes, depending upon their use.
Manufacturers of radioactive sealed sources must meet strict standards and be licensed and licenses are also required for purchasers who must use the devices as intended and dispose of them legally. The devices are designed to be safe and generally are small metal containers with a specific amount of radioactive material sealed inside. As long as the protective housing is intact, there is no danger of radiation exposure to the user or others nearby.
Unfortunately, some of these sealed sources fall off the regulatory radar and end up lost, stolen, abandoned, or otherwise unaccounted for. These are known as “orphan sources” and they are cause for concern since they may be used for deadly purposes, such as building “dirty bombs,” or end up in processed inadvertently with other waste resulting in contamination of people and property.
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According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 40 deaths and 266 serious injuries worldwide have been caused by uncontrolled orphan radioactive sources, many related to contaminated scrap metal. When they are processed like scrap metal and melted, the radiation escapes and the damage can be catastrophic. The EPA cites 96 such melting incidents in steel mills worldwide, and in the United States, the average cost of cleanup for such an accident totals about $12 million.
Here are the most common radioisotopes and some of their diverse uses:
Americum-241 – in smoke detectors; to measure toxic lead in dried paint samples and to ensure uniform thickness in steel and paper rolling processes;
Cadmium-109 – to analyze metal alloys for checking stock and sorting scrap.
Californium-252 – to inspect airline luggage for explosives and to gauge soil moisture content.
Carbon-14 – in pharmaceutical research as a tracer to ensure that drugs are metabolized without harmful by-products, and in biological research, agriculture, pollution control, and archeology.
Cesium-137 – to treat cancer, measure radioactive drug doses, measure/control oil pipeline flow, and to ensure the correct fill level for packages of different products.
Cobalt-60 – to sterilize surgical instruments and in cancer treatment, food irradiation, gauges, and radiography.
Curium-244 – to analyze material excavated from pits and slurries in mining.
Iridium-192 – to test the integrity of pipeline welds, boilers and aircraft parts and in brachytherapy/tumor irradiation.
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Iron-55 – to analyze electroplating solutions, to detect airborne sulphur and in metabolism research.
Krypton-85 – in appliance indicator lights, to gauge the thickness of thin materials, and to measure dust/pollutant levels.
Nickel-63 – to detect explosives, in voltage regulators and current surge protectors in electronic devices, and in electron capture detectors for gas chromatographs.
Plutonium-238 – to power more than 20 NASA spacecraft since 1972.
Polonium-210 – to reduce static charge in materials production.
Promethium-147 – in electric blanket thermostats, and to gauge the thickness of thin materials.
Radium-226 – makes lighting rods more effective.
Sodium-24 - to locate leaks in industrial pipelines and in oil well studies.
Sulphur-35 – in survey meters by schools, the military and emergency management authorities, in cigarette manufacturing sensors and medical treatment.
Thallium-204 – to measure dust/pollutant levels on filter paper, and to gauge the thickness of materials.
Thoriated Tungsten – in electric arc welding rods in different industries.
Thorium-229 – to help fluorescent lights last longer.
Thorium-230 – to provide coloring and fluorescence in glazes and glassware.
Tritium (H3) – in self-luminous aircraft and commercial exit signs, in luminous dials, gauges, wrist watches, and paint, and for geological prospecting and hydrology.
Uranium-235 – Fuel for nuclear power plants and naval nuclear propulsion systems, and in fluorescent glassware, a variety of colored glazes, and wall tiles.