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Hospitals Become Major Source of Nuclear Waste

Hospitals Become Major Source of Nuclear Waste
Natural News.com February 24, 2009 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer Hospitals have become a major source of nuclear waste in the United States, producing and storing millions of radioactive materials each year with no long-term disposal plan. Experts increasingly fear that such waste could pose health hazards or be stolen by terrorists and used to build dirty bombs.

“Instead of safely secured in one place, it’s stored in thousands of places in urban locations all over the United States,” said nuclear waste consultant Rick Jacobi.

Hospitals and other health facilities use radioactive material for a variety of functions, from examination to treatment. For example, radiation from cobalt and powdered cesium is used to sterilize blood and medical equipment, while cobalt is also used to kill diseased brain tissue. Capsules of cesium are implanted next to tumors to kill cancerous cells, and thin tubes of radioactive material are used to o

Hospitals Become Major Source of Nuclear Waste

February 25, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, NORTH AMERICA