Nuclear tech has wider anti-virus application

Irradiation sterilization, radioactive drugs can help eliminate coronavirus

Nuclear-related irradiation sterilization, which offers high security, conserves energy and is environmentally friendly, has been given full play in recent months during the battle against COVID-19, a political adviser said, suggesting this technology be promoted in the medical field and emergency response system.

If nuclear power is known as “heavy industry” in the nuclear field, other applications such as irradiation technology are referred to as “light industry,” which has had a low profile. Irradiation sterilization means using cobalt Y rays or high-energy electron beams produced by an accelerator to sterilize objects. As Y rays and electron beams have penetrating power, they can change the microbial structure of items and then achieve sterilization.

In an interview with the Global Times on Tuesday, Luo Qi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said that irradiation sterilization has helped to protect medical staff in the COVID-19 epidemic.

Luo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Party secretary of the China Academy of Atomic Energy under the China National Nuclear Corp, said sterilization and disinfection of medical supplies is key to winning the battle against the epidemic.

Using the traditional sterilization method, it takes seven to 14 days to finish disinfection. However, irradiation sterilization can shorten the time to one day, greatly improving the sterilization effect and efficiency.

In addition, no waste gas or liquid will be generated by this means, which is energy-saving and environmentally friendly. “It is very safe,” he said.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the corporation is also developing a new technology to prepare radioactive drugs that can eliminate the coronavirus, Luo said. This effort “has achieved phased progress.”

Although the application of nuclear technology in China has reached a certain scale, it still accounts for a relatively low proportion of the economy, which is still far behind developed countries.

During this pandemic, more than 40 percent of medical supplies were sterilized with irradiation abroad, compared with 10 percent in China.

“Most radioactive isotopes we use to diagnose and treat various diseases are imported. In fact, we have the basic technology to produce these radioactive isotopes for domestic medical applications,” he said.

During the two sessions, Luo said his proposal focuses on accelerating the development of the application of nuclear technology and promoting nuclear medical security.

He suggested China further increase policy support and investment in nuclear medicine, such as radiological therapy, nuclide diagnosis and medical imaging, and support the role of nuclear technology in the national emergency system.

Using irradiation technology to sterilize medical instruments is not new. In 1956, Johnson & Johnson was the first company to use the electron beam irradiation operating gown.

The technique has also been applied in the food industry, especially for astronauts, to keep their food fresh.

Industry insiders explained that the food or clothes only absorb the energy of the radiation without direct contact, there is no chemical residue and also no radioactive contamination.