ASN Report 2020

the use of materials and waste originating from a nuclear activity for the manufacture of consumer goods and construction products if they are, or could be, contaminated by radionuclides, including by activation. Waivers may however be accepted in a very limited number of cases (see point 2.2.1). 1.1.3 Other common applications Sealed radioactive sources can also be used for: ∙ industrial irradiation, particularly for sterilization (see point 3.2.1); ∙ gamma radiography, which is a non-destructive inspection method (see point 3.3.1); ∙ eliminating static electricity; ∙ calibrating radioactivity measurement devices (radiation metrology); ∙ practical teaching work concerning radioactivity phenomena; ∙ detection by electron capture. This technique uses sources of nickel-63 in gaseous phase chromatographs and can be used to detect and dose various chemical elements; ∙ ion mobility spectrometry used in devices that are often portable and used to detect explosives, drugs or toxic products; ∙ detection by X‑ray fluorescence. This technique is used in particular for detecting lead in paint. The portable devices used today contain sources of cadmium-109 (half-life 464 days) or cobalt-57 (half-life of 270 days). The activity of these sources can range from 400 MBq to 1,500 MBq. This technique, which uses a large number of radioactive sources nationwide (nearly 4,000 sources), is the result of a legislative system designed to prevent lead poisoning in children by requiring a check on the lead concentration in paints used in residential buildings constructed before 1 January 1949 in case of sale, a new rental contract, or work significantly affecting the coatings in the common parts of the building. Graphs 1A and 1B show the number of facilities using sealed radioactive sources for the identified applications under the licensing and notification systems respectively. They illustrate the diversity of these applications and their development over the last five years. It should be noted that: ∙ a given facility may carry out several activities, and if it does, it appears in Graph 1 and the following diagrams for each activity; ∙ the breakdown between the licensing system and the notifi­ cation system (sealed sources and electrical devices emitting ionising radiation) for a given end-use is not yet stabilised, because the changes of administrative system concerning the nuclear activities newly subject to notification since 1 January 2019, will extend through to 31 December 2023 (see point 2.4.2). 1.2  Uses of unsealed radioactive sources The main radionuclides used in the form of unsealed sources in non-medical applications are phosphorus-32 or 33, carbon-14, sulphur-35, chromium-51, iodine-125 and tritium. They are used in particular in research and in the pharmaceutical sector. They constitute a powerful investigative tool in cellular and molecular biology. Using radioactive tracers incorporated intowv molecules is common practice in biological research. There are also a number of industrial uses, for example as tracers or for calibration or teaching purposes. Unsealed sources are used as tracers for measuring wear, detecting leaks or friction spots, building hydrodynamic models and in hydrology. As at 31 December 2020, the number of facilities authorised to use unsealed sources stood at 715. Graph 2 specifies the number of facilities authorised to use unsealed radioactive sources in the applications inventoried in the last five years. 1.3  Uses of electrical devices emitting ionising radiation 1.3.1 Main industrial applications In industry, electrical devices emitting ionising radiation are used mainly in non-destructive testing, where they replace devices containing radioactive sources. Graphs 3A and 3B show the number of facilities using electrical devices generating ionising radiation in the listed applications under the licensing or notification system respectively. They illustrate the diversity of these applications and their development over the last five years. This development is closely related to the regulatory changes which have gradually created a new licensing or notification system concerning the use of these devices. GRAPH 2 Use of unsealed radioactive sources 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Number of facilities licensed Research Use of tracers Calibration Teaching 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 242 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 08 – SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS