Radioactive Materials in Scrap Metal, How This Problem is Addressed in the Netherlands

Full text: The port of Rotterdam is the biggest trading place of scrap metal in the World. After the introduction of fixed radiation detection systems at the entrance gates of scrap yards, further referred to as portal detectors, incoming loads of scrap metal are inspected for radioactive sources. In the Netherlands exists a legal system in which every suspicion to be in the possession of radioactive materials without a license has to be reported to the authorities, hence also an alarm of a portal detector. A regulation is developed in consensus by the authorities, the scrap metal traders, and RTD (Research, Technology and Development) in order to control this flow of unwanted radioactive materials. At the present the scrap metal traders announce radioactive materials voluntarily, the authorities control, and RTD takes care of the disposal of unwanted radioactive materials. Since 1994 RTD has gained considerable experience in isolating radioactive materials, and assisting the scrap metal traders in deciding on further actions to be taken. In this paper it will be described how inspections are performed on loads of scrap metal that caused the alarm of a portal detector to go off. Some examples, and characteristics of radioactive objects that were intercepted will be given. (author)