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2.2.2 Industrial Applications of Radiation Sources

(i) Radiation Processing Facilities (RPF)

RPF includes Gamma Radiation Processing Facility (GRAPF)/
Gamma Irradiators and Electron Beam Accelerators are used mainly for
radiation processing of food (i.e. inhibiting sprouting, delay in ripening,
microbial decontamination, insect disinfestation, shelf-life extension etc.),
sterilisation of healthcare products and crosslinking of polymers in cable
industries. The activity range is about few PBq (eg.10 Bq) of Co.
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Industrial Accelerators Radiation Processing Facility (IARPF)
operated in electron mode of energy range from 1.5 to 3 MeV are
mainly used for cross linking of polymers. One of the benefits of
accelerators is that, unlike radioactive sources, it produces radiation
only when they are energized.

The RPF are of high radiation hazard potential.

(ii) Research Accelerators

Research Accelerators or Particle Accelerator Research Facilities
(PARF) are generally installed in academic & research institutions and
catering to the research needs of various fields of high energy physics,
material science, radiation studies etc. Accelerators installed in our
country operated in the energy range from a few hundreds of keV to
GeV. The hazard associated with the facilities also diverse in nature
and ranges from very high-to-moderate hazard potential. The radiation
hazard potential of an accelerator mainly depends on the type of ion(s)
accelerated, type of accelerator and beam parameters (e.g. energy
& current, target system). Besides, other industrial hazards such as
electrical, mechanical, RF, magnetic, cryogenic etc. are also present in
an accelerator facility.

(iii) Gamma Irradiation Chamber (GIC)

Gamma Irradiation Chamber is basically used for research and development and
also in blood banks for irradiation of blood and blood components. Radioisotopes
like Co and Cs are used in these applications. The activity ranges from few tens
137
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of TBq to few hundreds of TBq. They are of high to moderate radiation hazard
potential.

Now a days, Irradiator based on X-ray generator are also used in blood banks
and research application. X-ray energy range is from 160 to 300 keV.

40 AERB Annual Report 2019