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Jamaica Commissions Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiator to Support Sterile Insect Technique and Agricultural Research

A new gamma irradiator at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica has been commissioned, providing new technical capabilities for the country's research in vector-borne disease control, agricultural improvement, and nuclear technology applications. The equipment began operation in October 2024 and was officially inaugurated in August 2025, currently focusing primarily on sterile insect technique research, with the main objective of controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. John Antoine, head of the Nuclear Analysis Laboratory and senior research scientist at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, explained that the irradiator can deliver controlled, measurable doses of radiation to samples or products without making the samples or products themselves radioactive. He compared the...

2026-09-08

U.S. NNSA and DTRA Remove High-Risk Cobalt-60 Radioactive Source from Guatemala

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced on August 27 that, in cooperation with the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), it has removed a high-risk cobalt-60 radioactive source from a facility in Guatemala and transported the associated components to a secure storage location in the United States. This operation aims to reduce security risks associated with radioactive materials and prevent high-activity radioactive substances from being illegally acquired or misused. According to reports, cobalt-60 can be used in medical equipment for cancer treatment, but high-activity radioactive sources, if improperly managed, may pose radiological safety hazards. In May of this year, an NNSA Los Alamos National Laboratory team, in cooperation with relevant Guatemalan agencies, worked on a decommissioned U.S.-manufactured cobalt-60 teletherapy...

2026-08-28

A Category IV Cobalt-60 (Co-60) radioactive source retired in Huangshi

Recently, under the coordinated deployment and on-site supervision of the Huangshi Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau in Hubei Province, a retired Category IV Cobalt-60 (Co-60) radioactive source was transported in a closed loop by a professionally qualified vehicle and safely delivered to the Hubei Provincial Urban Radioactive Waste Repository, where it was permanently sealed in a standardized manner. The collection and storage process for this waste source followed standard procedures with meticulous control, and no readings exceeding limits, equipment loosening, or other safety anomalies occurred throughout the entire transport process. It is understood that this Cobalt-60 radioactive source was originally the core component of a level gauge supporting an enterprise's kiln production line. As the production line was dismantled and scrapped, the related equipment ceased operation, increasing the safety management pressure of the idle radioactive source. Upon receiving the enterprise's disposal application, the Huangshi Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau...

2026-08-21

Indonesia Develops Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation Technology to Boost Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil

The Indonesian Nuclear Technology Polytechnic, under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), has recently successfully developed cobalt-60 (Co-60) gamma irradiation technology and applied it to increase biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. The study aims to explore more efficient pathways for renewable energy production while providing a new solution for the resource utilization of waste cooking oil. Dita Ariyanti, a lecturer at the Indonesian Nuclear Technology Polytechnic, stated that with continued growth in energy consumption and declining fossil fuel reserves, the need to develop alternative energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. For Indonesia, rising energy demand and dependence on fossil fuels also pose challenges to greenhouse gas emission reduction. Waste cooking oil was previously mostly treated as household waste, and improper disposal could pollute the environment; converting it into biodiesel can reduce waste while obtaining renewable energy.

2026-08-19

IAEA imPACT Assessment Recommends Namibia Expand Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Services

August 18, 2026, the results of the International Atomic Energy Agency's imPACT review show that Namibia has demonstrated a clear commitment to strengthening cancer treatment, while still needing to further expand service coverage, build the oncology workforce, and improve access to cancer diagnosis and treatment nationwide. Cancer is becoming an increasingly prominent public health challenge in Namibia. Data shows that the country records more than 4,200 new cancer cases annually. According to Globocan 2024 projections, this figure is expected to rise to 7,200 by 2040. Breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and Kaposi sarcoma currently account for nearly half of all confirmed cancer cases in Namibia...

2026-08-19

Nuclear Technology Aids Pest Control: Sterile Insect Technique Achieves Results in Multiple Countries

The application of nuclear technology is not limited to power generation and heating. In areas such as agricultural pest control, animal health, and disease vector management, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) based on cobalt-60 gamma rays is playing an important role. The core approach of SIT involves mass-rearing target pests in specialized facilities, separating males, and then irradiating them with a cobalt-60 gamma ray source. The radiation causes DNA breaks in the reproductive cells of male insects, leaving them able to fly and mate with wild females but unable to produce viable offspring. As large numbers of sterile males are continuously released, the proportion of ineffective matings in the wild population increases, pest numbers decline generation after generation, and under certain conditions...

2026-08-13