Radiation kills germs that can cause disease and neutralizes other harmful organisms. Sterilization with ionizing radiation inactivates microorganisms very efficiently and, when used for product wrapping, ensures that healthcare products are safe and can be relied upon.
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Medical sterilization
Sterilizing medical products
Radiation is a safe and cost-effective method for sterilizing single-use medical devices such as syringes and surgical gloves. One of its key advantages is that it allows already-packaged products to be sterilized. A variety of life-saving equipment is sterilized with radiation. More than 160 gamma irradiation plants around the world are operating to sterilize medical devices. Around 12 million m3 of medical devices are sterilized by radiation annually. More than 40 per cent of all single-use medical devices produced worldwide are sterilized with gamma irradiation. The IAEA helps its Member States set up radiation facilities and provides guidelines for the use of sterilization applications that use radiation.
