VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog on Monday called for “vigilance” against trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive material, noting that it has logged over 4,200 thefts or other incidents in the last thirty years.
Last year, 31 countries reported 168 incidents “in line with historical averages”, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Six of these were “likely related to trafficking or malicious use”, it added.
The IAEA has recorded 4,243 incidents since 1993, with 350 of them being trafficking or malicious use – connected.
“The reoccurrence of incidents confirms the need for vigilance and continuous improvement of the regulatory oversight to control, secure and properly dispose (of) radioactive material,” said Elena Buglova, director of the IAEA’s nuclear security division.
Many are not about trafficking or malicious use but involve for example scrap metal found to be contaminated.
The number of cases involving nuclear material like uranium, plutonium and thorium has decreased according to the IAEA.
However Buglova warned dangerous materials remain vulnerable especially during transport emphasizing “the importance of strengthening transport security measures”.
This comes out as Vienna-based IAEA opens its fourth international conference on nuclear security from Wednesday to Friday this week in Austria’s capital city.
The last one was also held in Vienna in 2020.
A total of 145 states currently report to the IAEA about incidents that involve nuclear or other radioactive material lost, stolen, improperly disposed of or otherwise neglected.
Various radioactive substances are used globally in hospitals, universities and industry sectors
Pranay Vaddi who is a senior official at the white house task force on arms control and nonproliferation told AFP on the sidelines of the conference that as “nuclear power and thus nuclear material will become more prevalent in coming years,” countries using nuclear power should “secure and safeguard materials and programs.”
“Dirty bomb” is the most immediate threat through which such materials could pass into the hands of terrorists, threatening to use them in a dirty bomb – a device that disperses radioactive substances via conventional explosives.
Though a “dirty bomb” would cause much less damage and loss of life than a fission or fusion atomic explosion resulting from it would be just a fraction of an urban area.
