Methodologies and systems to meet the challenges of locating and recovering orphan sources: Source search operation conducted by French and Indian teams in the Republic of Georgia

Radioactive sources are finding wide ranging applications in medicine and industry apart from their use in research and agriculture. Thus the use of a large number of radioactive sources of varying strengths is increasing at a fast rate in many countries the world over. Having effective regulatory control and ensuring the safety and security of such sources is essential. Sources lost, misplaced or stolen may pose a serious threat to humans the world over, as this may lead to inadvertent exposure of the public. Concern over the possible threat due to these orphan sources necessitates the development of systems and methodologies to identify and locate such sources and also gives rise to the need to be in a state of readiness to respond effectively to radiation emergencies involving them. Apart from the instruments developed locally by many countries, equipment is commercially available that allows effective survey and detection of orphan sources. Specific strategies have to be developed for effective searches and for source management that suits individual countries depending on their regulatory and control measures, topography, availability of resources, technical capabilities, etc. Extensive international experience has also been accumulated with respect to searching for, locating and securing orphan sources. The paper describes the general approach to defining a strategy for the detection and location of orphan sources, and the systems and methodologies developed by French and Indian teams that are kept in readiness for the prevention of illegal trafficking as well as for searching for and locating orphan sources. The paper also discusses, as a case study, the source search operations carried out, under the auspices of the IAEA, by French and Indian teams in the Republic of Georgia in the years 2000 and 2002. (author)