Institutions that use high-risk radioactive materials in Taiwan are subject to monthly inventory checks regarding safe handling and storage, an Atomic Energy Council (AEC) official said Thursday in an interview with CNA.
This came after the AEC issued a statement on Wednesday to reassure the public that Taiwan has a sound framework to regulate high-risk radioactive source, following media reports on the possibility of dirty bombs — weapons made up of radioactive materials and conventional explosives — being used in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Of the radioactive sources that would pose a high risk to human health if not managed safely and securely, cobalt-60 (60Co), caesium-137 (Cs-137) and Iridium-192 (Ir-192) are used in Taiwan, Tsai Chin-hsien (蔡親賢), deputy director of the AEC’s Department of Radiation Protection, told CNA on Thursday.
Currently, the three substances are used for processes such as treatment for bacterial or fungal infections, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, irradiation of blood, welding, and calibration at 83 hospitals, companies and academic institutions, Tsai said.
Under Taiwan’s regulatory system on the radioactive source, an importer must present an import license from the AEC to the customs services for inspection before the shipment can go through the customs clearance, Tsai said.
The regulations also apply to the transport and storage of the radioactive materials to protect against potential loss or theft of the substances, he said.
For example, the materials must be stored in a secure manner, such as having an intrusion alarm system and the use of double doors for burglary prevention, he added.
Meanwhile, following an accident in 2011 involving the loss of a load of Ir-192 during transport by a vehicle, the AEC introduced new rules regarding operations associated with movement of the materials, including the use of a device to alert the driver of the host vehicle of any problems that happen to the package, Tsai said.
The package of Ir-192 which was dropped off accidentally during transportation was found intact 10 days later at a metal recycling site, and was the only incident of lost radioactive materials ever recorded in Taiwan, he added.
With a cloud-hosted inventory management system, the AEC is able to verify the high-risk radioactive materials held by the 83 institutions on a monthly basis, Tsai said.
The AEC also dispatches personnel to conduct inspections of the users at any time to ensure that the materials are safely and securely stored, he said.
In addition to 60Co, Cs-137 and Ir-192, Taiwan also imports Uranium-235 (U-235) which is used to generate electricity in nuclear power plants, Tsai said.
According to a report by the Associated Press on Monday, Russia has continued to press its claim that Ukraine is preparing to launch a dirty bomb on its own territory, which Ukraine, the U.S., the U.K. and France, have rejected.
Ukraine also dismissed Moscow’s claim as an attempt to distract attention from the Kremlin’s own alleged plans to detonate a dirty bomb, the report said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel