He Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) has reported the loss of a transport package which houses four radioactive sources of selenium (se-75) that should have arrived at the cargo terminal at Madrid Airport Barajas-Adolfo Suárez. According to them, all sources are properly encapsulated and shielded to avoid radiation to the outside.
The four radioactive sources They are category 2on a scale of 1 to 5 established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with 5 being the least dangerous category. Category 2 is called “very dangerous for the person” because their radioactivity entails radiological risks if they are no longer protected by their shielding. However, as long as they remain housed inside the transport package, they do not pose any danger.
The CSN has sent a team of three inspectors at Barajas Airport to find out more details about the event, first of all to verify if the package has arrived at the airport. The CSN is in constant communication with the Protection of the Community of Madrid to manage the event.
He Selenium 75 is a radioactive isotope which has applications in the field of industrial radiography. Anyone who locates the package must avoid handling it and immediately notify the authorities, police and emergency call service (112).
With the corresponding signage
It is a B(U) model NE4C package container with four encapsulated radioactive sources of Se-75 for commercialization. Both the suitcase and the equipment have the corresponding signage: clover and legend radioactive.
The mission of the Nuclear Safety Council is protect workers, the population and the environment ensuring that nuclear and radioactive facilities are operated by the owners safely, and ensures the establishment of prevention and correction measures against radiological emergencies, whatever their origin.
Situations like the current one are covered in the emergency operating procedures. The emergency systems are periodically tested and reviewed by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) as part of its permanent supervision program.