Radiation detection backpacks are one of the latest additions to the IAEA’s inventory of nuclear security equipment. Introduced in 2017, these backpacks can provide a larger area of detection and identification than many other mobile tools, owing to their higher sensitivity detection system. A single backpack expands the detection footprint from centimetres to several metres.
The backpacks’ scintillation detectors can categorize material as industrial, medical, naturally occurring and non-threatening radioactive material (NORM) or a special nuclear material that could be considered a threat. In under 30 seconds, the backpacks can generally identify the type of source within a one-to-two-metre distance. The average 12-hour battery life allows for in-depth, uninterrupted activity.
Wearing the 14-kilogram backpacks, local authorities can collect data over a large area and search for any radioactive sources that may have been lost or stolen and could be used with malicious intent. Before deployment, security personnel are trained to operate and perform general maintenance of the equipment.
“Backpacks are a primary tool for radiation detection in an operational sense because of their versatility and built-in identification capability,” Adams said. Given their mobility, backpacks are intended to cover a large area, he added, as opposed to stationary monitors that are utilized at ports and borders.
Experts in over 20 countries have used these backpacks for various nuclear security activities. In some cases, this has been for major public events, such as the 2019 World Youth Day held in Panama, the 2018 Asian Games held in Indonesia and the G20 Summit held in Argentina in 2018.
“With the assistance of the IAEA, we were able to augment our security arrangements by deploying detection equipment as a part of our overall security strategy around World Youth Day,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Gobea, Head of Panama’s Joint Security Task Force formed to secure the 2019 World Youth Day. “Having access to such equipment is an invaluable and cost-efficient way of scaling up our detection capabilities whenever we need to.” (Read more about nuclear security at major public events).