The regulatory body and its role in controlling the radioactive contaminated metallurgical scrap in Egypt

Radioactive contamination in the recycled metals has been one of the main issues to be dealt with by the Egyptian regulatory body taking into consideration the fact that large volumes of recycled scrap metals are being transported regularly at Egyptian harbors. The regulatory body is the National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control (NSNSRC) which belongs to the Atomic Energy Authority of Egypt with three other regulatory bodies. One of the main tasks for the NSNSRC is to control all the activities related to radioactivity in the country. The NSNSRC has recently established a program for controlling all of the metallurgical scrap being imported into Egypt. Officers in charge of detecting radioactive sources have been appointed at check-points all over the Egyptian borders to monitor the movement of metallurgical scrap in and outside the country. A few cases have so far been reported of radioactive contaminated metallurgical scrap. Concrete countermeasures have been taken to return the contaminated metallurgical scrap to the country of its origin. (author)