Public Safety and security threatened by radiological and nuclear materials and the necessary detection technology to effectively combat it

• Author: Artur Beu - Argenziano Pasquale
• Position: Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tirana - Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, Second University of Naples, Italy
• Pages: 113-120

113

ISSN 2410-759X

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research

IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania Vol. 1 No. 2

September 2015

Public Safety and security threatened by radiological and nuclear

materials and the necessary detection technology to effectively combat it

Artur Beu

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tirana

Argenziano Pasquale

Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, Second University of Naples, Italy

Abstract

After the last terrorist attacks in Paris of January, 7, 2015, each country is taking

consequently measures in the field of anti terrorism. The world is more exposed than

ever to these types of threats and safety and security are threatened, too.

In this context it is mandatory to make some considerations. What about the possibility

of using radioactive and nuclear materials in a terroristic attack? How much are we

exposed from this threat? Are terrorists able to use these RN materials and are these

materials available in the market? Which are the main problems faced in the field of

detection of RN materials? Is your country well equipped in terms of technology to

detect RN materials? Is technology the solution of these problems?

To effectively combat nuclear terrorism it is necessary the establishment of mechanisms

for early and reliable detection of indications of a terroristic attack being prepared.

Every country has its own detection architecture. It differs from country to country, but

the aim is the same. In this regard the Global Initiative on Combating Nuclear Terrorism

offers a number of solutions on how to build effective detection architecture in combating

radiological and nuclear terrorism.

Ionizing radiation of RN materials has a clear priority compared to other physical fields

in terms of detection.

Keywords: detection technology, terrorist attacks, detection architecture.

Introduction

After building up a reliable and sustainable architecture on the detection of RN

materials at the borders and in the state interior, we need to know exactly which

are our capacities. We need to know how the technology is updated. We need to

know which are our weaknesses that may be used by the perpetrators to commit

such terroristic attacks by means of RN materials. We need to know what type of

technology we are using and if this technology is able to detect such hazards. The

installation of portal monitors in the points of entry and exit and the equipment of

personnel with PRDs and utilization of systems that detect RN materials makes us

feeling more safety, but there are different challenges that technology faces in this

regard. Nuclear detection technologies are based on registration parameters

measurements and analyses of penetrating inherent ionizing radiation of RN

materials, first of all, gamma-quanta and neutrons. The values related to radiation