Late on Monday, the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) deactivated the alert it had launched after reporting the loss of a radioactive container in Madrid. The object contained four sources of category 2 selenium, “very dangerous for people.”
The package came from Prague (Czech Republic) and It should have been delivered last Friday. in the cargo terminal of the Madrid Barajas-Adolfo Suárez Airport. When it did not appear, the alert was given.
Finally, after 8:30 p.m. this Monday, the CSN inspection team reported that the container had been found in perfect condition. All the misplaced sources were properly encapsulated and shielded to avoid radiation to the outside.
These sources (of radioactivity) were category 2, in a scale of 1 to 5 established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with 5 being the least dangerous category. The CSN explained that Category 2 is called “very dangerous for humans” because their radioactivity entails radiological risks if they are no longer protected by their shielding. However, as long as they remain housed inside the transport package, they do not pose any danger.
How many radioactive shipments are made in the world?
-
About 15 million packages of radioactive material are transported around the world each year on public roads, railways and ships, according to the World Nuclear Association. The vast majority, around 95%, are not related to nuclear energy. These radioactive shipments account for a very small proportion of all the hazardous material transported each year. In the US it is only 1% and it is the world’s largest producer of nuclear energy.
Selenium 75, a radioactive isotope
The transport of radioactive materials and nuclear substances is subject to a specific regulations regarding the transport of dangerous goods, It depends on the means of transport used. There are regulations for transport by land, rail, sea or air, although the most used means is land.
Both the suitcase and the equipment that were lost for four hours this Monday had the corresponding signage: clover and legend “radioactive”.
It was a container package B(U) model NE4C with four radioactive sources encapsulated with Se-75 (selenium) for commercialization. Selenium 75 is a radioactive isotope that has applications in the field of industrial radiography.
Selenium, enemy of aquatic life
-
Selenium is considered a dangerous element for the environment, so its compounds must be stored in dry areas, avoiding leaks that contaminate the water. Selenium pollution, from agricultural runoff and industrial processes, is affecting the oceans, causing the death of large fish.
What is a radioactive lump?
The agencies and companies dedicated to the transportation of radioactive materials speak of bulk as the final product of the prepared packaging operation for its expedition. It is made up of the packaging itself and its contents.
There are several types of radioactive packages, depending on the activity and conditions transportation:
- Excepted packages
- Industrial (IP-1, IP-2, IP-3)
- Type A
- Type B (U)
- Type B (M)
- Type C
Carriers of nuclear substances and radioactive materials, in non-excepted packages, are subject to a declaration regime for which they must be registered in a Registry that, for this purpose, is maintained in the General Directorate of Energy Planning and Coordination. Currently there are 46 registered companies, according to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
What is a B(U) package?
A type B package, like the one that has now made headlines in Madrid, includes a limited amount of radioactive material in its approval certificate and ensures integrity under accident conditions.
Based on a certain activity of the radioactive material, the package must be capable of withstanding severe accident conditions, explains the CSN. These activity values are individual for each radionuclide and are identified as A1 (if the radioactive material is specially encapsulated) and A2 (if it is not specially encapsulated).
Type B packages are designed to transport material with the highest levels of radioactivity. International transportation requires that life-threatening quantities of radioactive material are transported in this type of packaging. They are intended to survive severe accident conditions (e.g. impact, fire, water immersion).
These packages go from small handheld x-ray cameras to steel barrels Heavily armored vehicles weighing up to 125 tons. Examples of material transported in Type B packaging include spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and high concentrations of other radioactive materials such as cesium and cobalt.
Type B packaging may have (U) or (M) designations. The one lost at the Barajas airport for a few hours was type B(U), which means that Its design is approved by the country of originin this case the Czech Republic.
#called #package #model #NE4C #put #Barajas #check #hours #lost #nuclear #container
