The threats and challenges of a radiological emergency

Abstract

Radiological emergencies may occur either as an accident or as a result of an intentional and malevolent use of radioactive sources. In the last few years, concerns about the potential use of radioactive materials in a "dirty bomb" or in an improvised nuclear device have increased. Although such an incident has not occurred up to now and experience in dealing with such a situation has not been acquired, there have been accidents with radioactive sources and radiation facilities that posed similar threats and challenged the capabilities of emergency responders and radiation protection infrastructures. Cases such as the deliberate poisoning of Litvinenko with 210Po, the accident in Goiania with a radioactive source taken from a medical facility by metal scrappers, the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and the Balkan's syndrome related to depleted uranium, are reviewed in order to extract lessons relevant to radiological protection and radiological emergency management. © 2009 WIT Press.