Publication Laka-library:
Potentials of ionizing radiation in reducing hazards to man and environment. Summary of the UTOX-report (1991)
| Author | W.Mullié, R.Kroes |
| Date | November 1991 |
| Classification | 6.01.4.00/18 (RADIATION - GENERAL) |
| Front | 
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From the publication:
INTRODUCTION Ionizing radiation has currently many applications, but not all of them are practiced at an operational level. Some of these applications are accepted by the general public without debate (e.g electron beam curing, the production of sterile insects by gamma irradiation, to be used in pest control operations). Other applications, notably those for food preservation, have received much attention from the public, but there is currently no general consensus about the acceptability of this method. It is not generally known that in many fields of application, the radiation technology may offer a non-hazardous alternative for conventional technologies that are hazardous to man and environment. In the first chapter, some applications of ionizing radiation, including irradiation of medical devices and disposables, use in the tannery, treatment of contaminated soils and sediments and flue gas cleaning are described. Applying ionizing radiation in most of these situations, either by gamma-source or by an electron accelerator, means that the use of hazardous compounds can be eliminated or reduced, and concurrently the risks for man and environment. Since environmental and occupational aspects of cobalt 60 are important aspects in many applications of ionizing radiation, these aspects are discussed as well. The application of ionizing radiation for the preservation of food, the sterilization and sanitization of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and for disinfection of water and sewage sludge was believed to offer the greatest potential in reducing the emission of chemicals to the environment in the short term, combined with an acceptable degree of development of the radiation technology to introduce it readily on the operational level. The result of these case-studies are described in chapter 2 till 6.
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