International Information Sharing Needed To Prevent Nuclear Threats

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Also Included In: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 06 Mar 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Information about the characteristics of nuclear and other radioactive materials stored and used by countries needs to be shared globally to combat the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and nuclear terrorism, says a report published by the Royal Society.

The report which looks at the issues surrounding the detection of nuclear threats such as the smuggling of nuclear warheads and radioactive materials to make dirty bombs concludes that shared international databases would aid the growing field of nuclear forensics by speeding up and improving the identification of the origins of nuclear materials. It is hoped that this may deter future terrorism attempts.

Professor Roger Cashmore, Chair of the advisory group that produced the report, said: "To reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism we need to increase our ability to detect and respond to the misuse of nuclear materials. This can help the international collection and sharing of information about nuclear materials."

The report which represents the views of over 70 of the world's leading scientific and policy experts from the UK, USA, Russia, Israel and Europe highlights the need for countries that have a nuclear power industry or nuclear weaponry to share technical data for instance on the types of nuclear fuel used by their commercial power stations, or nuclear material used for defence.

"For example, nuclear reactors may use a specific type of fuel, such as uranium pellets. This fuel is then processed to produce nuclear waste products with particular characteristics. Indicators such as these make nuclear materials inherently traceable."

Databases of this type of information are crucial to trace the source of the material after smuggling or, in a worst case scenario, a nuclear incident.

Professor Cashmore continued: "If a bomb made from a certain type of uranium or plutonium was detonated, knowing where that material was processed would enable authorities to trace it back to a specific country's industrial or defence facility. Currently this process could take months but if international information was shared, it could take weeks or even days. Such efficiency would act as a strong deterrent to potential smugglers.

"Information on the type of nuclear materials held by countries is valuable only if it is globally available. At present there is no requirement for countries to collect or share information on their nuclear industry or weaponry."

The report notes that in the UK, as in many countries, there is considerable sensitivity in the commercial and military communities over sharing information on the types and quantities of nuclear material.

"It is of course critical to ensure homeland security is protected. But nuclear and other radioactive materials of concern are spread throughout the world - along with people willing to smuggle them. It is crucial to take account of the potential global threat of trafficking when considering whether it is appropriate to share such sensitive information.

"Consistent international materials databases, used alongside existing surveillance and intelligence, will undoubtedly improve the prevention of nuclear threats and will build international confidence in nuclear security."

Royal Society