System of control of

radioactively contaminated
metal scrap in Lithuania
Gendrutis Morkūnas
Radiation Protection Centre
Kalvarijų 153, LT-08221, Vilnius, Lithuania
genmo@takas.lt
 General situation
• all the practices except for irradiation available
• radioactive sources are imported and spent sources
exported
• radiation protection infrastructure in place:
– notification about intentions to import, export and
transport radioactive sources,
– licensing of practices,
– keeping of national register of sources,
– ensuring of physical security of sources,
– use of safe procedures during their transportation,
– treatment of radioactive waste and spent sources
 Legislation

• control of movement of metal scrap

• detection of radioactivity in metal scrap
• detection of radioactivity on the national
borders
• dealing with found radioactive sources,
• radiation protection
• other related legislation
 Technical measures

• monitoring of metal scrap in scrap yards, metal

scrap and final products in reprocessing plants
• monitoring of radioactivity on the borders
• procedures when radioactive sources are detected
• more detailed analysis with the aim of
characterization of sources in Lithuania and
abroad
• training of involved staff
 Items already detected

• contaminated metal
• materials containing increased concentrations of
natural radionuclides
• sources, previously used in practices
• commodities containing increased amounts of
radionuclides
• contaminated vehicles have been found
Patients released after nuclear medicine procedures
are triggering monitoring systems
 Training

• target groups are identified

• training shall address specific needs of these
groups
• more attention should be given to selection of
trainees
• training should help to optimize the whole system
• international training courses (due to co-operation)
might be useful
 International cooperation

• for information exchange

• international training courses or national ones with
lecturers from other countries
• existing networks of exchange of information
(e.g.,CEEAN) might be used
• common efforts in more detailed characterization
of found materials
 Observations and conclusions

• the system should include both general and

specific measures
• training should address different categories of
persons involved
• training should help to optimize the system
• it has to be of international character
 Observations and conclusions

• monitoring equipment which meets the needs and

complies with competence of users should be
further developed
• attention should be paid to quality assurance and
particularly elaboration and validation of
monitoring techniques
• international cooperation is important
• available resources should be effectively used