Healthcare named key consumer of nuclear technologies

Healthcare is the key consumer of nuclear technologies. The statement was made by Mr Sergei Boyarkin, Advisor of ZAO Rusatom Overseas, during an online conference hosted by the BelTA website.

“Healthcare is the key consumer of nuclear technologies. The treatment of many diseases such as oncological ones relies on using radioactive pharmaceuticals. Non-destructive testing and radiology also consume nuclear technologies. Without nuclear components it is impossible to make any high-tech equipment starting with aircraft and ending with sea vessels,” he explained.

There are two more large areas where nuclear technologies are used, stressed Sergei Boyarkin. Those are the treatment and sterilization of the waste generated by large cities and the sterilization of medical instruments. “Every large city generates a huge amount of waste, including hazardous wastes. Nuclear technologies can be used to neutralize the hazardous wastes, rendering them safe for the environment,” he said.

According to Sergei Boyarkin, nuclear technologies are also widely used to change qualities of materials. “When exposed to radiation, natural objects tend to change their qualities. If you subject crop seeds to radiation, the crops will produce more yield, will not be subject to diseases,” he remarked.

“Thus, the number of applications for nuclear technologies is very large. If we analyze the structure of sources of radioactive waste that the planet generates every year, we will see that nuclear power engineering industry generates only 5% of it. It means that sources other than nuclear power engineering account for 95% of the radioactive waste. It means that nuclear technologies are used very widely these days,” stressed Sergei Boyarkin.