1. Christopher Bajwa International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria
Session Title: Regulatory and Institutional Issues: Implementation of Transport Regulations II
Presentation Title: Transport of Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials: Are Exemption Levels Exempted?
Christopher Bajwa
International Atomic Energy Agency,
Austria

2. Transport of Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials: Are Exemption Levels Exempted?
Points to be made:
Irradiated Gemstones should not be shipped until they are below exemption levels. This is for the country’s competent authority to enforce. Enforcement is not always present.
Consumers could set off portal monitors if they go to a country with loose controls and purchase an item that has been irradiated.
The internet has created more of a problem, because there is little traceability. Where is an item actually coming from…with the internet it makes it harder to track.
Denials can occur because a customs official is not aware of the ability to ship under an exemption. Also there is money to be made in the permitting of a radioactive shipment. A company may be forced to ship as “radioactive” even though their consignment meets exemption limits.
So how does a large shipment of low activity material actually get made…if it is under the exemption levels, then it is in the excepted package, but it still requires the “UN” label.
Igor Gusev Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
International Atomic Energy Agency
Chris Bajwa Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
International Atomic Energy Agency
Tony Colgan Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
International Atomic Energy Agency

3. Overview What is a “consumer product” in the radiation safety context?
Categories of consumer product
Some examples of consumer products
IAEA approach to radiation safety of consumer products
Transport of consumer products
Issues to be addressed
Questions?

4. What is a “consumer product”?
In the IAEA safety standard on Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards, a consumer product is defined as:
“A device or manufactured item into which radionuclides have deliberately been incorporated or produced by activation, or which generates ionizing radiation, and which can be sold or made available to members of the public without special surveillance or regulatory control after sale.”
-P. 102, GSR Part 3 (Interim)
Some may be supplied directly to the public through commercial outlets
Others intended for specialist use by professionals but may still be purchased by members of the public.

5. Categories for Consumer Products
Products to which small amounts of radioactive material have been added
either for functional reasons or because of its physical or chemical properties;
Equipment capable of generating ionizing radiation;
Products which, as a result of being intentionally exposed to ionizing radiation, contain activation products.

6. Examples of Consumer Products
Ionization chamber smoke detectors (ICSDs);
Radioluminous products using luminous paint or containing gaseous tritium light sources (GTLSs);

7. Examples of Consumer Products, cont.
Thorium, 85Kr, and Tritium used by lamp manufacturers:
to improve electrode metallurgical properties
to optimize the light spectrum
to provide a starter aid function either in high intensity lamps or in older fluorescent lamps;
Gas mantles containing thorium;

8. Examples of Consumer Products, cont.
Thoriated tungsten welding electrodes;
Glassware and tableware that may contain uranium compounds
incorporated into the glass
for the purpose of
fluorescence

9. Examples of Consumer Products, cont.
Static eliminators incorporating 210Po or 241Am
Glass lenses containing uranium and thorium compounds;
Irradiated gemstones;
Neutron transmutation doping
(NTD) of crystal silicon.

10. IAEA APPROACH TO THE RADIATION SAFETY OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS

11. Regulatory Control of Consumer Products

12. Safety Assessment for Consumer Products

13. Transport of Consumer Products
As stated in para. 107 (e), the IAEA Transport Regulations (SSR-6) do not apply to:
“radioactive material in consumer products that have received regulatory approval, following their sale to the end user”
Consumer products are, therefore, outside the scope of the Transport Regulations only after supply to the end user.
All other transport of consumer products including:
the use of conveyances between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers
the transport of large quantities of individually “exempted” consumer products
Must comply with IAEA Transport Regulations.

14. Transport Issues to be Addressed
Exemption from regulatory control requires consideration of:
Harmonization of national and international requirements for imported consumer products
smoke detectors, irradiated gemstones, etc.
Internet trade of consumer products
Denials of export shipment of consumer products due to measured gamma radiation levels at the package.

15. Questions ? Thank you Igor Gusev I.Gusev@iaea.org
Christopher S. Bajwa