Medical use of all high activity sources should be eliminated for security concerns

Capala, Jacek; Goetsch, Steven J.; Orton, Colin G.

doi:10.1118/1.4934823

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…9 , 33 Cesium-137 used in blood irradiators and other medical devices also represents a concern given the ease of dispersibility in its powder form, with many experts calling for the elimination of the use of such high-activity radiation sources due to security concerns. 34 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Descriptive Analysis of the Use of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Weapons by Violent Non-State Actors and the Modern-Day Environment of Threat

Tin

Cheng

Shin

et al. 2023

Prehosp. Disaster med.

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Introduction: The use of chemical, biological, radiation, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons is not new, and though rare, it is an issue of concern around the world due to their ability to cause large-scale mass-casualty events and their potential threat to global stability. The purpose of this study is to explore the use of CBRN weapons by non-state actors through analysis of the Violent Non-State Actor (VNSA) CBRN Event database, and aims to better inform health care systems of the potential risks and consequences of such events. Methods: Data collection was performed using a retrospective database search through the VNSA CBRN Event database. Results: A total of 565 events were recorded. Five hundred and five (505) events (89.4%) involved single agents while 60 events (10.6%) involved multiple agents. Fatalities numbered 965 for chemical agents, 19 for biological agents, and none for radiological and nuclear events. Injuries numbered 7,540 for chemical agents, 59 for biological agents, 50 for radiological events, and none for nuclear attacks. Fatality and injury per attack was 2.22 and 17.37, respectively, for chemical event agents and 0.15 and 0.48, respectively, for biological event agents. Conclusion: Violent Non-State Actors were responsible for 565 unique events around the world involving the use of CBRN weapons from 1990-2020. The United States (118), Russia (49), and Iraq (43) accounted for the top three countries where these events occurred. While CBRN events remain relatively rare, technological advances have the potential to facilitate the use of such weapons as part of a hybrid warfare strategy with significant repercussions for civilian health and health care systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Descriptive Analysis of the Use of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Weapons by Violent Non-State Actors and the Modern-Day Environment of Threat

Tin

Cheng

Shin

et al. 2023

Prehosp. Disaster med.

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“…In this study, the nature of RBE M was examined for 125 Numerous studies have demonstrated that plastic scintillators are excellent detectors for use in clinical radiation dosimetry. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Several factors contribute to their suitability. These include: 1) water equivalence, 2) linearity, and 3) fast response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Secondly, the potential use of radioisotopes in the production of 'dirty bombs' for large scale attacks is a growing fear. 9 By using radioisotopes such as cobalt-60, several additional security layers must be added to the hospital's infrastructure to remain in compliance with regulatory commissions. 10 High energy photons produced by radioisotopes such as cobalt-60 are still used in several specialized machines.…”

Section: Figure 12mentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying Radiobiological Variation in Cancer Radiotherapy Using Monte Carlo Simulation and Doped Plastic Scintillators

Nusrat¹

2021

Preprint

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This dissertation examines the extent to which radiobiological variations occur in photon radiotherapy, and then presents a novel methodology and detector prototype to measure this variation. In the first section, I examine the change in maximum RBE (RBEM) outside the primary field in open and composite 6 MV x-ray beams. This is done using Monte Carlo simulation and microdosimetric techniques. It was found that when comparing an open 10 10 cm2 6 MV beam to a composite 10 10 cm2 beam comprising one hundred 1x 1 cm2 beamlets, the out-of-field increase in RBE occurs much closer to the field edge in the composite case. This finding may have consequences for IMRT cases in which large amount of scattered radiation may be causing a higher than expected effective dose to organs at risk. In the second section, the maximum RBE variation is examined in the context of brachytherapy. The sources examined include 192Ir, 125I, and 169Yb. It was determined that maximum RBE of 125I relative to the source position did not vary significantly as distance from the source was increased, however, 192Ir and 169Yb were found to exhibit RBEM increases of 3.0% and 6.6% at a distance of 8 cm, respectively. Also, the impact of this variation on an HDR 192Ir prostate treatment plan was examined; it was found that RBEM hotspots of +3.6% occur at the treatment plan’s periphery. In the third part, the impact of lead doping on plastic scintillator response is quantified, a major step required for the development of the LET detector prototype. In this stage, 4 differently doped plastic scintillators were obtained, and measurements were conducted in low and medium LET beams. Using Geant4 Monte Carlo and the measured scintillator responses, the scintillator parameters: kB and L0 were determined as a function of dopant concentration and effective atomic number. Finally, the uniquely energy dependent scintillators were combined into a detector prototype used to measure the LET spectra produced by five low energy photon beams. These beams included four orthovoltage energies (100, 180, 250, and 300 kVp) along with an 192Ir HDR source. In this proof-of-principle work, the detector prototype and technique was found to accurately determine the LET spectra and the mean LET for all beams with the exception of the 100 kVp orthovoltage beam. Potential applications for the real-time LET detector prototype and technique described in this dissertation include LET measurement in radiotherapy, allowing for biologically optimized treatment plans improving patient care. This technique and prototype also has numerous applications in non-medical fields such as health physics, space travel dosimetry, and nuclear safety.

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“…Because they produce radiation, radioisotopes have raised security concerns. The fear is that loss of radioisotopes – due to accident, oversight, or sabotage – could result in their acquisition by unauthorized persons or terrorists who could then produce a radiological dispersal device (“dirty bomb”) 9 . Motivated by these concerns, some members of Congress proposed legislation in the 2015 Appropriations Bill that would have phased out the use of radioisotopes in the United States, including Co-60.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The widespread commercial use of Co-60 means it is often housed in less well-guarded facilities, such as hospitals, that are unlike heavily guarded nuclear facilities 9 . Experience in other countries has demonstrated the potential for mishaps.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unintended consequences of the potential phase-out of gamma irradiation

Chou¹,

Skornicki²,

Cohen³

2018

F1000Res

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The radioisotope cobalt-60 (Co-60) is important for commercial, medical, and agricultural applications. Its widespread use has meant that Co-60 can be found in less secured facilities, leading to the fear that unauthorized persons could obtain and use it to produce a “dirty bomb”. This potential security concern has led to government calls for phasing-out Co-60 and other radiation sources, despite ongoing safety and security regulations for handling, transport and use of radioactive sealed sources. This paper explores potential implications of phasing out radioisotopic technologies, including unintended safety and cost consequences for healthcare and food in the US and globally. The use of Co-60 for healthcare and agricultural applications is well-documented. Co-60 is used to sterilize single-use medical devices, tissue allografts, and a range of consumer products. Co-60 is used in Gamma Knife treatment of brain tumors in over 70,000 patients annually. Co-60 is also used to preserve food and kill insects and pathogens that cause food-borne illness. Co-60 is effective, reliable, and predictable. Limitations of alternative sterilization technologies include complex equipment, toxicities, incompatibilities with plastic, and physical hazards. Alternative ionizing radiation sources for wide-reaching applications, including e-beam and x-ray radiation, have advantages and drawbacks related to commercial scale capacity, penetrability, complexity and reliability. Identifying acceptable alternatives would require time, costs and lengthy regulatory review. FDA testing requirements and other hurdles would delay replacement of existing technologies and slow medical innovation, even delaying access to life-saving therapies. A phase-out would raise manufacturing costs, and reduce supply-chain efficiencies, potentially increasing consumer prices, and reducing supply. These consequences are poorly understood and merit additional research. Given Co-60’s importance across medical and non-medical fields, restrictions on Co-60 warrant careful consideration and evaluation before adoption.

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Medical use of all high activity sources should be eliminated for security concerns

Cited by 5 publications

References 8 publications

A Descriptive Analysis of the Use of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Weapons by Violent Non-State Actors and the Modern-Day Environment of Threat

A Descriptive Analysis of the Use of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Weapons by Violent Non-State Actors and the Modern-Day Environment of Threat

Quantifying Radiobiological Variation in Cancer Radiotherapy Using Monte Carlo Simulation and Doped Plastic Scintillators

Unintended consequences of the potential phase-out of gamma irradiation

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