NRC STAFF RECOMMENDS SECURITY OVER REPLACEMENT 

OF CESIUM CHLORIDE RADIATION SOURCES 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has recommended a continued emphasis on 

improving the security of cesium chloride radiation sources instead of replacing or banning them, 

citing their beneficial uses in medicine and industry and the lack of effective alternatives at the 

present time. 

 The staff recommends continued efforts to make irradiators and other devices containing 

cesium chloride more secure, including built-in security measures at the time of manufacture. 

The staff also recommends the Commission issue a policy statement that would articulate 

security requirements for these devices as well as the Commission’s regulatory role, and 

encourage active development of alternative forms of cesium sources. The Commission has not 

yet voted on the staff recommendations. 

 “These radiation sources perform critical functions in blood sterilization and medical and 

industrial research, and society would suffer from a rush to replace them before effective 

alternatives are available,” said Bill Borchardt, the NRC’s executive director for operations. 

“Clearly the best course of action for now is to emphasize security improvements already in 

place and continually look for additional ways to enhance their security.” 

 These types of radiation sources fall into the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 

Categories 1 and 2, which the NRC considers most sensitive from a security standpoint. Cesium 

chloride sources have received special scrutiny because the cesium is a compressed powder that 

is highly soluble in water and dispersible as an aerosol. These sources are widely used in 

irradiators to sterilize human blood, in bio-medical and industrial research, and for calibration of 

radiation instrumentation and dosimetry. 

 The staff’s recommendation, submitted to the Commission on Nov. 24 and made public 

this week on the NRC Web site, concludes an extensive review of the security and use of cesium 

chloride sources. The review included public input obtained at a two-day forum in September 

that discussed alternative forms of cesium, alternative technologies, phase out and transportation 

issues, additional enhanced security, and potential future requirements for use of the material. 

More than 200 people attended the forum. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 

E-mail: opa@nrc.gov 

Site: http://www.nrc.gov

No. 08-223 December 12, 2008
 The staff considered the February 2008 report of the National Academies, “Radiation 

Source Use and Replacement.” The staff also consulted the Advisory Committee on the Medical 

Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI), which cited cesium chloride’s advantages over other available 

technologies for use in blood irradiation and medical research. The ACMUI recommended a 

continued emphasis on improving security of cesium chloride sources as an alternative to their 

removal or prohibition. 

 The agency chose to make the staff paper public at this time because of high public 

interest. 

 The staff paper, “Strategy for the Security and Use of Cesium-137 Chloride Sources” 

(SECY-08-0184) and the ACMUI report on cesium chloride irradiators, are available on the 

NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/commission/secys/2008/ or through the NRC’s ADAMS online document system 

using access code ML0830400770. 

 

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