Uses (licensed)

Radioactive sources can be useful when handled under proper professional control and regulation. The phrase licensed use means radioactive materials are used by trained personnel under appropriate safety rules and legal requirements.

Radioactive materials can be used for: diagnostic tracers; medical imaging; * some cancer treatments.

Applications include: checking material thickness; detecting leaks using tracers; inspecting structures; monitoring industrial processes.

Ionising radiation can be used to sterilise some medical equipment by damaging microorganisms.

A useful isotope should have properties appropriate to the task, such as: suitable half-life; suitable radiation type; detectable radiation; manageable exposure risk.

Radioactive materials should be handled only by properly trained and authorized personnel.