RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30179, 10 July 1963, Page 12

RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

Imports To N.Z. Increase

The number of orders and variety of radio-isotopes imported into New Zealand for use in hospitals, medical research and industry is sieadily increasing. According to airline representatives hardly a day passes now without an aircraft bringing in a shipment. In 1955, when the Dominion X-ray and Radium Laboratory in Ohristiohurch took over the ordering and control of radioactive materials for the Dominion, 166 orders were placed for 16 different radio-isotopes. Last year 463 orders were made for 36 isotopes. The bulk of the orders last year were supplied from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, although 41 specially-labelled materials were obtained from the United States. In the latter part of the year several shipments came to the Dominion from the Australian Atomic Energy Commission’s reactor at Lucas Heights, Sydney.

The radioactive material was distributed to such bodies as the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Agriculture, universities, schools, industries and services.

Fast delivery is essential. On an .average it takes only 48 hours to get material to the Dominion and in many cases even less. One at the chief reasons toi the urgency being tihait each isotope has its own particular rate of decay and for a number of these used in medical practice this can be quite a brief time. So short, in fact, that perhaps half the activity of the isotope could have dissipated in a matter or days or less. To ensure a minimum of delay the airline oomoany carrying material sends signals to all the airports through which the aircraft will pass, and, as the consignment goes through, each airport in turn advises the next to ensure speed of transmission. The radioactive material to be freighted around the world has to be specially packed to ensure maximum safety to the handlers en route. Such procedure is part of an international agreement. In some cases the material is sent in a container with a heavy lead shielding. But, where the radiation is considered only "soft,” a sealed tin may be quite adequate. If the material is liquid then is will be in a container inside of which will be a special absorbing material to safeguard against leaks.