1. Transport of radioactive materials: background

1.1 Materials transported

A wide variety of radioactive materials are transported at any given time throughout the world. The fuel cycle around nuclear power reactors accounts for most of the activity (in the radiological sense), but the largest number of packages involves radioisotopes for medical use. In practice, it is impossible to count the number of shipments: how, for example, can we count the movements of control sources? Delivery rounds to hospitals? Do we count transports, vehicles or packages? Should an empty but contaminated package be counted? Moreover, it is forbidden to divulge data on the transport of plutonium and MOX fuel (a mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides).

In France, estimates range from 400,000 to 900,000 parcels a year; worldwide,...