What is the difference between “irradiated” and “contaminated”?
A contaminated item is one that has a measurable quantity of radioactive material deposited on it. It is in itself a source of radiation and must be contained appropriately. It should not be handled without protection, as it may contaminate anything that comes into contact with it.An item irradiated by cobalt-60 is one that has had gamma radiation ‘shone’ through it. The irradiated item does not pick up any radioactivity and never contains radioactivity, so it may be handled normally. This is the principle adopted in the application of REVISS sealed sources to sterilize medical devices.
