Transport and disposal of cobalt-60 industrial radiation sources

This paper will deal with safety aspects of the handling and transportation of Cobalt-60, the most widely used industrial radioisotope. Cobalt-60 is a man-made radioisotope of Cobalt-59, a naturally occurring non-radioactive element, that is made to order for radiation therapy and a wide range of industrial processing applications including sterilization of medical disposables, food irradiation, etc. The shipment of a Cobalt-60 source is the last step in a long and detailed manufacturing and quality control process which includes material specification and preparations, as well as design, manufacture and quality assurance procedures for the encapsulation, reactor targets and shipping containers. The safe transport and disposal of Cobalt-60 industrial radiation sources is essential to the viability of gamma processing technology world-wide. Producers and users of sources are stringently regulated. Transportation packages are tested. Safe disposal options exist and are undergoing continual review. Primary producers such as Nordion International Inc. cooperate fully with regulatory agencies to improve evaluation technology to keep pace with changing requirements. (author). 5 figs