Institutions that use high-risk radioactive materials in Taiwan are subject to monthly inventory checks regarding safe handling and storage, an Atomic Energy Council (AEC) official said yesterday.
The official’s remarks came after the AEC on Wednesday issued a statement to reassure the public that Taiwan has a sound framework to regulate high-risk radioactive sources, following media reports that “dirty bombs” could be used in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Dirty bombs use conventional explosives that scatter radioactive material. While they do not have the destructive power of nuclear weapons, they could cause radioactive contamination.
A total of 83 hospitals, businesses and academic institutions nationwide use the radioactive isotopes cobalt-60, caesium-137 and iridium-192 for processes such as treating bacterial or fungal infections, Gamma Knife radiosurgery and the irradiation of blood, as well as welding and calibration, AEC Department of Radiation Protection Deputy Director Tsai Chin-hsien (蔡親賢) said.
The materials could pose a risk to human health if not managed safely, Tsai said.
The AEC uses a cloud inventory management system to track the materials on a monthly basis, Tsai said.
AEC personnel also conduct random inspections at the institutions to ensure that the materials are stored safely and securely, he said.
Taiwan also imports uranium-235 to generate electricity in its nuclear power plants, Tsai said.
According to Taiwan’s regulations, entities that want to import radioactive materials must present an import license obtained from the AEC to the customs office before the shipment can be cleared, he said.
The regulations also apply to the transportation and storage of radioactive materials to protect against the potential loss or theft of the substances, he added.
The materials must be stored in a secure manner, for example in a storage space with alarms and double doors to prevent break-ins, he added.
Russia on Monday repeated its claim that Ukraine was preparing to detonate a dirty bomb on its own territory, The Associated Press reported.
Ukraine, the US, the UK and France have rejected the claim.
Kyiv said Moscow was trying to divert attention from its own alleged plans to detonate a dirty bomb.
In 2011, following the loss of a shipment of iridium-192 during transportation, the AEC introduced rules regarding the movement of radioactive materials in Taiwan, such as requiring transporters to install a device on their vehicles to alert the driver in the event of any problems with the cargo, Tsai said.
The material was found intact at a metal recycling site 10 days later.
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