Broader and better-coordinated international efforts to implement complete and integrated systems for "cradle to grave" management of sealed radioactive sources (SRS) are essential for their long-term sustainability, experts agreed at an IAEA workshop held in Chang Mai, Thailand.
SRS are routinely used in medicine, industry, agriculture and other fields. Among other applications, they are used to diagnose and treat medical patients, inspect welds and protect stored crops. However, there is a safety and security risk associated with these sources, which need to be managed and maintained under regulatory control even once their useful life is over. Their sustainable management remains a challenge for many countries, as most disused SRS have no final disposition route.
Workshop participants acknowledged the IAEA´s efforts to strengthen the safety and security of disused SRS and to support the upgrading of management infrastructure in Member States. The IAEA is expected to continue to play a leading role in this area, coordinating efforts through the use of international instruments such as the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, the Import/Export Guidance and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.
Although a number of storage facilities have been recently built or renovated with physical protection upgrades allowing for improved control of disused SRS, storage remains a necessary but intermediate step and there is no better option than disposal for long-term sustainability.
Disposal is generally recognized as a safer and more secure solution for all types of radioactive sources, with the possible exception of very short lived sources which are suitable for decay storage. Yet, the lack of licensed disposal facilities accepting long-lived disused SRS is a worldwide issue and dedicated solutions must be developed and implemented.
Workshop participants recognized the borehole disposal of sealed sources concept, known as BOSS, as a mature concept ready for implementation in candidate Member States, in particular those where disused sources are prevailing in radioactive waste inventories.
The International Workshop on Sustainable Management of Disused Sealed Sources - Working towards Disposal, was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 12-16 January 2009. The event was organized by the IAEA and hosted by the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) under the auspices of the Asian Nuclear Safety Network (ANSN).
Some 80 managers and experts from 23 countries representing national programmes, regulatory bodies, international projects and source management organizations attended the five-day workshop.