Unwanted Radioactive Material (Orphan Sources)

{
  "id": "MLC-T-NUC-000530",
  "term": "Unwanted Radioactive Material (Orphan Sources)",
  "field": "Nuclear energy and radiation",
  "definition": "refers to sealed sources of radioactive material contained in a small volume (but not radioactively contaminated soils and bulk metals) in any one or more of the following conditions (taken from the NRC Orphan Source Initiative):\n\n• In an uncontrolled condition that requires removal to protect public health and safety from a radiological threat;\n\n• Controlled or uncontrolled, but for which a responsible party cannot be readily identified;\n\n• Controlled, but the material's continued security cannot be assured. If held by a licensee, the licensee has few or no options for, or is incapable of providing for, the safe disposition of the material;\n\n• In the possession of a person, not licensed to possess the material, who did not seek to possess the material; or\n\n• In the possession of a state radiological protection program for the sole purpose of mitigating a radiological threat because of one of the above conditions, and for which the state does not have a means to provide for the material's appropriate disposition.",
  "references": [
    "NRC Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/nuclear/unwanted-radioactive-material-orphan-sources/"
}