Safe transport, use and disposal of nuclear medicine sources in India - Controls and administrative procedures

Large number of applications of radioactive material (RAM) in medicine, industry, agriculture and research necessitates its transport from one place to another. In view of the radiation hazard associated with the transport of RAM, these are required to be transported in accordance with the national regulations. In India, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the Competent Authority, enforce the regulations for the safe transport of RAM through a Code. The code is based on the IAEA regulations for 'Safe Transport of Radioactive Material' with modifications to suit the conditions of transport specific to India. In India, a considerable supply of the radioisotopes, particularly short-lived, used in nuclear medicine, is of foreign origin and the quantum of such imports is increasing annually. In this paper, the current administrative procedures and controls followed for safe transport, use and disposal of RAM used in nuclear medicine in India are discussed in detail. (author)