Re: [ RadSafe ] “Dirty Bomb” Mat erial in Use Across Canada

[Michael LaFontaine, P.Phys.]

Not just Canada - any country with a nuclear 
medicine facility in its hospitals, 
radiochemistry/nuclear engineering faculty in its 
universities, Am-241 smoke detectors, Co-60 
irradiators, Cf-252 calibrators, Sr-90 batteries, 
nuclear gauges, industries that use Ir-192 or 
Co-60 cameras, etc., etc., has all the 
prerequisites for "dirty bomb" material. For 
those of us working in the industry, the onus is 
on us to ensure adequate safeguards and 
compliance/reporting to regulators - all the 
sources I've come across in Canada and the US in 
my 30 years in the field, have been "very" 
secure. I'm sure the same holds true for our 
European colleagues. Not being naive, but these 
sources are not generally left unattended.

Michael LaFontaine, P.Phys., RSO
Manager - R&D
IST Canada
465 Dobbie Drive
Cambridge, ON
Canada
N1R 5X9

At 06:31 PM 3/4/2008, John R Johnson wrote:
>Clayton
>
>There is also a lot of "Dirty Bomb" material in 
>the Canadian "Oil Patch" and in Texas, etc. Look 
>for a "soon to be published" HPS ANSI report.
>
>John
>***************
>John R Johnson, PhD
>CEO, IDIAS, Inc.
>4535 West 9th Ave
>Vancouver, B. C.
>V6R 2E2, Canada
>idias at interchange.ubc.ca
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Clayton J 
>Bradt" <cjb01 at health.state.ny.us>
>To: <radsafe at radlab.nl>
>Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 1:51 PM
>Subject: [ RadSafe ] “Dirty Bomb” Material in Use Across Canada
>
>
>>
>>
>>“Dirty Bomb” Material in Use Across Canada
>>Irradiation devices containing what a U.S. study called a potential
>>radiological “dirty bomb” ingredient remain in use in nearly 100 Canadian
>>hospitals, universities and blood banks, the Canwest News Service reported
>>Friday (see GSN, Feb. 21).
>>The machines contain cesium chloride, a “highly dispersible” form of
>>radioactive cesium 137, according to a February report by the U.S. National
>>Research Council. The National Academy of Sciences body has called for the
>>devices to “be replaced in the United States and, to the extent possible,
>>elsewhere.”
>>Uses for the devices include irradiating blood prior to transfusion. Canada
>>currently has 94 of the devices in use, the Canadian Nuclear Safety
>>Commission told Canwest. The board said it 
>>monitors the “sealed sources” of
>>cesium chloride in the machines on a “cradle-to-grave” basis, tracking
>>“where they are located and when they are transferred between locations.”
>>Natural Resources Canada said it plans this week to respond to the U.S.
>>report’s call to replace the machines.
>>MDS Nordion, a top Canadian nuclear medicine firm, has sold about 400
>>cesium chloride irradiators in the United States, the U.S. study says. The
>>company said it has sold 65 of the machines in Canada (Randy Boswell,
>>Canwest News Service, Feb. 29).
>>*******************************************************
>>Wisely, Nordion also markets X-ray based blood irradiators.
>>
>>Clayton J. Bradt
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>
>
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