NTI Expert Highlights Cesium-137 Risks to Health Care Professionals
NTI Program
Officer for Scientific and Technical Affairs Michelle
Nalabandian addressed the “dirty bomb” threat posed by radiological sources
in medical equipment at the Radiation Injury Treatment Network’s 2017 Radiation
and Nuclear Preparedness workshop on July 25. The Network works to educate health care professionals about pertinent aspects of
radiation exposure management, and the educational workshop brought
together 170 health care professionals. Nalabandian presented on the risk posed
by cesium-137, a radioactive isotope used in medical equipment such as blood
irradiators, and discussed
the safe and effective alternative technology that is available to help
eliminate the threat of this material being stolen and used to build a “dirty
bomb”. Nalabandian is a co-author of NTI’sRadiological Security Progress Report and a recent case
study of usages of alternative technologies for radioactive sources.
View the “Preventing a
Dirty Bomb” project page to read more about NTI’s work with hospitals,
industry and governments on radiological risks.
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