Status of radiation processing in the Philippines

Radiation processing, one of the well established applications of radiation and radioisotopes, has been successfully integrated into the industrial development of many countries worldwide. Environmental considerations embodied in the Montreal Protocol, the need for energy conservation brought about by escalating costs of fossil fuels, and the bright prospect of utilizing indigenous materials for value-added products have catalyzed the rapid development of radiation processing in the Asia region. This paper presents an overview of current developments in research activities and commercial applications of radiation processing in the Philippines. The areas of application include radiation sterilization of medical products, food irradiation, radiation vulcanization of natural rubber latex, radiation modification of the marine polysaccharide, carrageenan, and upgrading of cellulosic agriwaste by irradiation. (author)