Governments and the nuclear industry worldwide should develop better systems to secure radiological sources and replace the use of certain isotopes with less dangerous alternatives, according to a new report from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
Radiological sources such as cesium-137 and cobalt-60, used in hospitals, industry, and research centers, remain vulnerable and at risk of exploitation by hostile actors, NTI said in a report release announcement. “The very same isotopes that make life-saving blood transfusions and cancer treatments possible can be used to make a dirty bomb,” it said.
The report says the institutional framework for radioactive source security is weak in many states, as the materials are generally used by the private sector in minimally protected facilities. “Furthermore, medical, academic, and research sites are open environments accessible to large numbers of people,” according to NTI. “These open facilities, which typically have no trained on-site security forces, could be viewed as soft targets by potential adversaries.”
NTI noted that 22 of 23 countries that agreed at the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit to secure their radiological materials have met or will meet this commitment by the end of the year, but that these countries represent only about half of those participating in the Nuclear Security Summits and 14 percent of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member states. These countries include the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Japan, and Canada.
The report recommended developing a global standard for radiological security to strengthen existing international frameworks, establishing regulatory frameworks for the management of radioactive sources throughout their life cycle, strengthening the role of the IAEA in radiological security efforts, developing alternative technologies that do not use radiological isotopes, and promoting international adoption of a new joint statement on radiological security at the Obama administration’s final Nuclear Security Summit next week in Washington, D.C.
