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1. INDUSTRIAL, RESEARCH
AND VETERINARY USES
OF RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
1.1 Sealed radioactive sources
Sealed radioactive sources are defined as sources whose
structure or packaging, in normal use, prevents any
dispersion of radioactive substances into the ambient
environment. Their main uses are presented below.
1.1.1 Industrial irradiation
Industrial irradiation is used for sterilising medical
equipment, pharmaceutical or cosmetic products and
for the conservation of foodstuffs. It is also a means of
voluntarily modifying the properties of materials, for
example, to harden polymers.
These consumer product irradiation techniques can be
authorised because, after being treated, these products
display no residual artificial radioactivity (the products are
sterilisedby passing through radiationwithout themselves
being “activated” by the treatment).
Industrial irradiators often use cobalt-60 sources, whose
activitycanbeveryhighandexceeds250,000 terabecquerels
(TBq). Some of these installations are classified as BNIs
(see chapter 14). In many sectors, X-ray generators are
gradually replacing high-activity sealed sources for the
irradiation of products (see point 2).
1.1.2 Gamma radiography
Gamma radiography is a very frequently usedmethod for
detecting defects in materials, such as in the inspection
of weld beads. This technique primarily uses sources
of iridium-192, cobalt-60, and selenium-75, whose
activity can reach about twenty terabecquerels. A
gamma radiography device is usually a mobile device
which can be moved from one worksite to another. It
consists primarily of:
•
a source holder containing the radioactive source;
•
a source applicator, which acts as a storage container
and ensures radiological protection when the source
is not in use;
•
a guide tube and an end-piece for guiding movement
of the source between the source applicator and the
inspected object;
•
anda remote control cable allowing remotemanipulation
by the operator.
Gamma radiography devices mainly use high-level
sources and can present significant risks for the operators
in the event of incorrect operation, failure to comply
with radiation protection rules, or operating incidents.
As such, it is an activity with high radiation protection
implications that figures among ASN’s inspection
priorities.
I
ndustrial and research sectors
have been using sources of ionising radiation in
a wide range of applications and locations for many years now. The purpose of the
radiation protection regulations is to check that the safety of workers, the public and
the environment is ensured. This protection involvesmore specifically ensuring proper
management of the sources, which are often portable and used on worksites, and
monitoring the conditions of their possession, use and disposal, from fabrication through
to end-of-life. It also involves monitoring the main stakeholders, that is to say the source
manufacturers and suppliers, and enhancing their accountability.
The regulatory framework governing nuclear activities in France falls within the scope of
the Public Health Code and the Labour Code, and guides the regulation activities for which
ASN is responsible. It results from the transposition of the Euratom Directives and will
evolve in the coming years with the transposition of Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom
that sets the basic standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to
ionising radiation and puts in place a verification of the protection of ionising radiation
sources against malicious acts (see chapter 3).
The radiation sources used are either radionuclides – essentially artificial – in sealed or
unsealed sources, or electrical devices generating ionising radiation. The applications
presented in this chapter concern the manufacture and distribution of all sources, the
industrial, research and veterinary uses (medical activities are presented in chapter 9)
and activities not covered by the basic nuclear installations system (these are presented
in chapters 12, 13 and 14).
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CHAPTER 10:
INDUSTRIAL, RESEARCH AND VETERINARY USES AND SOURCE SECURITY
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015