The state of California is participating in a National Nuclear Security Administration program to reduce the possibility of medical isotopes becoming ammunition for dirty bombs, the semi autonomous Department of Energy agency said Tuesday.
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Cesium Irradiator Replacement Program helps academic and medical institutions replace devices that use radiological materials, such as cesium-137, with devices that use X-ray technology instead.
NNSA announced California was working with the program Tuesday. In October, NNSA announced New York City was participating.
The Cesium Irradiator Replacement Project is nested in NNSA’s Office of Radiological Security, which helps institutions pay for new medical and research equipment and dispose of old, radiation-based equipment.
So-called dirty bombs, which are relatively low-tech, could use conventional explosives to spread radioactive material over a large area.
