End-Of-Life Considerations During the Transition to Alternative Technologies

The National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Radiological Security (ORS) works to enhance global security by preventing the use of high activity radioactive materials in acts of terrorism. ORS accomplishes this mission through three strategies: Protect, Remove, and Reduce. The ORS Reduce mission utilizes a holistic approach to achieving permanent risk reduction through the implementation of non-radioisotopic alternative technologies for both U.S. and international partners. ORS promotes this approach through policy development, education, and outreach on the status of cutting-edge technologies; research, development, testing and evaluation of non-radioisotopic technologies; and direct replacement programs where possible both domestically and internationally.This paper will use case studies to highlight ORS experiences with radioactive source end-of-life management as a part of the transition to alternative technologies, particularly in the Cs-137 blood irradiation and Co-60 radiotherapy sectors. Replacement efforts for radioisotopic devices require identifying a strategy for source removals, whether through storage or disposal at a secured facility in-country or the return of the source to a supplier. Through these case studies, we intend to draw attention to the challenges of safe and secure end-of-life source management, how ORS supports safe and secure disused source management, and crucial partnerships that can make management viable. The paper will also emphasize the importance of thorough planning for end-of-life management for users of radioactive sources and highlight the value of non-radioisotopic alternative technologies in eliminating the need to dispose of disused sources. (author)