Key Points about Radiation Sterilization

• Radiation Sterilization is a cold process that utilizes gamma radiation to sterilize Healthcare Products.
• Gamma energy, controlled and released by radioisotopes like Cobalt-60, is used for sterilization.
• Cobalt-60 is the most preferred radioisotope due to its easy availability from a single nuclear reaction in a reactor and cost-effectiveness.
• Gamma radiation is characterized by its deep penetration ability and destroys microorganisms by damaging their DNA structure.
• This process is suitable for large-scale industrial sterilization.
• A radiation dose of 25 kGy (2.5 Mrad) is officially accepted for sterilization of healthcare products.
• The dose delivered to the products is measured by a dosimeter. Radiation sterilized products are accepted by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Advantages of Radiation Sterilization

Radiation sterilization offers several benefits including:

• The ability to sterilize products of any shape due to the powerful penetration ability of gamma rays.
• The capacity to sterilize heat-sensitive materials such as medical devices and pharmaceutical products.
• Flexibility in packaging as radiation sterilization does not cause long-term physical changes to the products.
• Retention of product sterility as sterilization is done after final packaging.
• The possibility to sterilize pre-packaged products, expanding the market for ready-to-use products. The process does not result in any form of residual toxicity in the product.
• Safety, as products sterilized by this process do not become radioactive.

It's important to note that a Gamma Radiation Processing Facility is licensed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and Local Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

• High energy Electron Beam (EB) and X-ray machines are also used for sterilization nowadays.
• The major difference between gamma radiation and EB lies in their penetration powers. While gamma radiations can penetrate deep inside the products, electron beams do not have as good penetration power.
• X-rays have comparable penetration power to gamma radiation at suitable energy range but they are not yet very popular.
• The Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT)/Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) set up a radiation sterilization plant ‘ISOMED’ which has been operational since 1974 for sterilization of medical products.
• The technology has proven to be effective, reliable, and acceptable among users.

This topic is likely to appear in the UPSC Preliminary examination. Aspirants should make a note of it and include it in their revision.

More Information on Atomic Materials and Radiation Sterilization

Gamma irradiation is a physical/chemical method of sterilization that kills bacteria by breaking down their DNA and inhibiting their division. The energy of gamma rays passes through the equipment, disrupting the pathogens that cause contamination.

The gamma sterilization process uses Cobalt 60 radiation to kill microorganisms on a variety of different products. This method of sterilization allows for quick turnaround time, easily penetrates packaging and product, and is ideal for many types of materials.

Food products such as beef, pork, crustaceans (e.g., lobster, shrimp, and crab), fresh fruits and vegetables, lettuce, spinach, poultry, and seeds for sprouting are sterilized using radiation.

Gamma rays are ionizing electromagnetic radiation, obtained from the slow decay of an atomic nucleus. They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes. Gamma rays are used in medicine (radiotherapy), industry (sterilization and disinfection), and the nuclear industry due to their high penetration power.

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