Kromek Security and Defence Newsletter

Lost and found

What are Orphan sources?

Radioactive material that goes missing, is undocumented or incorrectly disposed of can lead to widespread environmental contamination and uncontrolled radiation exposure. These are known as Orphan Sources, which are sources of radioactive material that were never or are no longer under regulatory control.

Where have Orphan sources turned up in the past?

In the past, there have been several R&N accidents involving orphan sources. These orphan sources can turn up in various places. Many incidents have occurred where orphan sources are collected and then sold as scrap metal. One of the most notable examples occurred in Goiânia, Brazil in 1985.

A highly radioactive medical Caesium-137 radiotherapy source not under radiation protection surveillance was taken from an old therapy institute building and the source capsule was ruptured. Parts of the source assembly were sold for scrap to a junkyard owner and fragments of the source itself were sold to several people who were fascinated at the material being able to glow blue in the dark. 250 people were contaminated, and four people died from the exposure.

Current statistics

From 1993 to 2024, a total of 4243 incidents of illegal or unauthorised activities involving R&N material were reported in the IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB). Last year alone, 147 incidents were reported to the ITDB.

What can be done in future

Although there are sufficient protocols and technology in place to manage these incidents, upscaling detection networks could further minimise their environmental, social and economic consequences by ensuring early detection and prevention.