Speaker
Description
In Tanzania, nuclear technology plays a pivotal role in improving healthcare, industrial and agricultural productivity. One of its benefits is the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) to eradicate tsetse flies, which spread diseases to humans and livestock. This technique was successfully used at the Vector and Vector Borne Disease Centre (VVBDC) in Tanga using a Gamma-cell 200, Cobalt-60 (60Co) irradiator. Once the source became disused and could no longer serve its purpose, the next challenge emerged: how to safely dismantle and move it to long-term storage. This paper describes a successful transportation security plan and execution of sealed high-activity radioactive source (SHARS) in accordance with the legal and regulatory framework in Tanzania. Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC), in collaboration with VVBDC and the US Department of Energy, carried out a special mission of removing the disused Co-60 source from Tanga to the central radioactive waste management facility (CRWMF) in Arusha. The entire operation involved detailed coordination among radiation experts, transport authorities, emergency responders, and security forces. The irradiator was secured in its original accident-resistant transport container and moved under an approved transport security plan. The 450 km journey was conducted at night to avoid high traffic and reduce public radiation exposure. The source was continuously monitored using real-time radiation survey instruments, and security command communication was enhanced by radio systems. Upon arrival, the source was inspected, confirmed to be intact, and placed in a secured, designed interim storage facility. This case highlights Tanzania’s commitment to the cradle-to-grave management of radioactive sources and demonstrates the national capacity to safely manage high-activity radioactive material, in line with the IAEA safety and security guidelines.
