How long will the radioactive Cobalt-60 being used in food irradiation facilities exist in our environment?
A radioactive isotope is generally considered to be hazardous for a period of 10-20 times its half life (the time it takes for half the nuclei of the radioactive material to undergo radioactive decay, and hence for the radioactivity of the material to be reduced by half). Cobalt-60 has a half-life of about 5 years which means it remains radioactive for 50-100 years. As the material is always disintegrating the cobalt-60 needs ongoing replacement. About 12% of the cobalt-60 used in irradiation facilities needs to be replaced yearly. This spent cobalt-60 and other nuclear waste needs to be stored. Right now we have tens of thousands of tonnes of spent nuclear fuel in storage, in Canada alone. Cobalt-60 is purposely produced in CANDU reactors from non-radioactive cobalt-59 for the purpose of irradiation. An irradiation facility requires huge amounts of radioactive material (e.g., 1-10 million curies), up to a 1,000 times more than a medical hospital irradiation facility. Food irradiation
Related Questions
- beams and X-ray facilities do not involve radioactive substances. What about the effect of irradiation on food packaging materials?
- How long will the radioactive Cobalt-60 being used in food irradiation facilities exist in our environment?
- Are food irradiation facilities subject to possible meltdowns or explosions?
