National Sealed Source Registry and Sealed Source Tracking System Report for 2023

Introduction

Sealed sources are radioactive nuclear substances encased in a sealed capsule or in a cover to which the substance is bonded. A source’s capsule or cover is strong enough to prevent contact with, or dispersion of, the substance under the conditions for which the capsule or cover is designed. Sealed sources can be used for a variety of activities, including medical, industrial, commercial, and academic and research applications. An inventory of sealed sources within Canada is housed in the National Sealed Source Registry (NSSR), which was established in 2006 to conform to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources. The NSSR is used to maintain an accurate and secure inventory of sealed sources in Canada, with a particular focus on those classified as high risk.

The Sealed Source Tracking System (SSTS) is a secure information-management system used in conjunction with the NSSR to track new and existing high-risk sources within Canada. Source transfers done online through the SSTS update and populate the NSSR so that the information is as current as the licence reporting allows. The timelines to report the receipt of a source (following either a domestic transfer or an import) is within 2 days of receipt. An export must be reported 7 days in advance of the export. As for a domestic transfer, the reporting timelines were modified in December 2020. Prior to that, some licensees had to provide a 7-day advance notice prior to a domestic transfer and others had to provide a 24-hour advance notice. The licence condition was uniformized in December 2020 so that all licensees must now provide a 24-hour advance notice prior to a domestic transfer. The CNSC places particular emphasis on capturing data on high-risk sources, with the NSSR housing detailed information such as the source serial number, isotope, activity, and current location. Information on moderate- and low-risk sources is updated annually using the inventory data included in licensees’ annual compliance reports (ACRs) and validated by the CNSC for accuracy and consistency.

Categories of sealed sources

Sealed sources are classified by the IAEA into five different categories:

• Category 1: Very high risk (personally extremely dangerous)
• Category 2: High risk (personally very dangerous)
• Category 3: Moderate risk (personally dangerous)
• Category 4: Low risk (unlikely to be personally dangerous)
• Category 5: Very low risk (most unlikely to be personally dangerous)

For more information on how sealed sources are categorized, consult the CNSC website.

Summary of Sealed Source Inventory

By the end of 2023, the NSSR contained information on 179,591 radioactive sealed sources in Canada. The SSTS actively tracks Category 1 and 2 sources. In 2023, 5,888 Category 1 and 75,674 Category 2 sources were tracked. The remaining 98,029 sealed sources in the NSSR were Category 3, 4 or 5, which are not subject to mandatory tracking for every movement. Figure 1 shows the total number of sealed sources, as well as the number of sealed sources in each category, that were accounted for in Canada on December 31, 2023.

Figure 1: Text version

A graph and table show the total number of sealed sources, as well as the number of sealed sources in each category, that were accounted for in the National Sealed Source Registry from 2019 to 2023.

There were 134,591 total sealed sources accounted for in the National Sealed Source Registry in 2019: 6,904 Category 1 sealed sources, 65,151 Category 2 sealed sources, 57,015 Category 3 sealed sources, 260 Category 4 sealed sources, and 5,261 Category 5 sealed sources.

There were 143,705 total sealed sources accounted for in the National Sealed Source Registry in 2020: 6,149 Category 1 sealed sources, 70,247 Category 2 sealed sources, 61,753 Category 3 sealed sources, 272 Category 4 sealed sources, and 5,284 Category 5 sealed sources.

There were 158,772 total sealed sources accounted for in the National Sealed Source Registry in 2021: 5,911 Category 1 sealed sources, 75,295 Category 2 sealed sources, 71,963 Category 3 sealed sources, 318 Category 4 sealed sources, and 5,285 Category 5 sealed sources.

There were 164,239 total sealed sources accounted for in the National Sealed Source Registry in 2022: 5,054 Category 1 sealed sources, 71,361 Category 2 sealed sources, 82,033 Category 3 sealed sources, 513 Category 4 sealed sources, and 5,278 Category 5 sealed sources.

There were 179,591 total sealed sources accounted for in the National Sealed Source Registry in 2023: 5,888 Category 1 sealed sources, 75,674 Category 2 sealed sources, 92,074 Category 3 sealed sources, 675 Category 4 sealed sources, and 5,280 Category 5 sealed sources.

Performance measures and verification

To gauge the effectiveness of the SSTS and verify the accuracy of the data in the system, CNSC inspectors physically cross-reference SSTS data against licensees’ actual inventory of sealed sources. Routine CNSC compliance inspections include the verification of sealed source tracking information. Inconsistencies are immediately addressed to ensure accuracy in the data.

In 2023, CNSC inspectors verified licensees’ compliance with sealed source tracking requirements during 57 inspections. Of these, licensees were compliant in 96% of cases (55 inspections). One of the non-compliances was related to a reporting period issue and the other one was the result of a mismatch between the physical inventory and what was registered in the NSSR/SSTS. In both cases, the licensees adequately addressed the issues.

For more information on inspection results of Canadian licensees using nuclear substances relative to doses to workers, radiation protection, operating performance and sealed source security, refer to the annual Regulatory Oversight Report on the Use of Nuclear Substances in Canada.

Event mitigation

Licensees must immediately report lost or stolen nuclear substances to the CNSC and must also submit descriptions of any actions taken or proposed to recover missing nuclear substances. The CNSC investigates every such event and informs local, national, and international stakeholders who may assist with recovery. A list of events involving sealed sources can be found in the Lost or Stolen Sealed Sources and Radiation Devices Report.

The International Nuclear and Radiation Events Scale (INES) is a tool for communicating the safety significance of nuclear and radiological events to technical communities and the public. Every event reported from the commercial, academic and research, industrial, and medical sectors is classified in accordance with the INES, based on its safety significance rating. Three events involving lost, stolen, or found sources in 2023 were rated as INES Level 1. Eight events were rated as Level 0, which are considered below scale and have no safety significance.

Figure 2 - Text version

A chart shows the breakdown of INES ratings. Below scale / Level 0 has no safety significance, Level 1 is an anomaly, Level 2 is an incident, Level 3 is a serious incident, Level 4 is an accident with local consequences, Level 5 is an accident with wider consequences, Level 6 is a serious accident, and Level 7 is a major accident.

The levels, excluding Level 0, are broken into 2 sections; Levels 1, 2, and 3 are incidents while Levels 4 through 7 are accidents.

A total of 17 sealed sources were involved in 11 events in 2023. Two Category 4 sources were stolen and not recovered. Four Category 4 sources were stolen and recovered; two of them were recovered 6 months after the theft and the other two were recovered the day following the theft. Eleven Category 5 sources were lost and not recovered.

Figures 3 and 4 present data on lost and stolen sources in Canada from 2019 to 2023.

Figure 3: Text version

A graph and table show the total number of events involving found, lost, and stolen sealed sources, the number of events involving found sealed sources, and the number of events involving lost or stolen sealed sources, that were reported from 2019 to 2023.

There were 6 events reported in 2019: none involving found sealed sources and 6 involving lost or stolen sealed sources.

There were 8 events reported in 2020: 1 involving found sealed sources and 7 involving lost or stolen sealed sources.

There were 10 events reported in 2021: 1 involving found sealed sources and 9 involving lost or stolen sealed sources.

There were 11 events reported in 2022: 1 involving found sealed sources and 10 involving lost or stolen sealed sources.

There were 11 events reported in 2023: none involving found sealed sources and 11 involving lost or stolen sealed sources.

Figure 4: Text version

A graph and table show the number of lost or stolen sealed sources and the number of found or recovered sealed sources that were reported from 2019 to 2023.

There were 7 lost or stolen sealed sources and 1 found or recovered sealed source reported in 2019.

There were 9 lost or stolen sealed sources and 6 found or recovered sealed sources reported in 2020.

There were 29 lost or stolen sealed sources and 9 found or recovered sealed sources reported in 2021.

There were 10 lost or stolen sealed sources and 5 found or recovered sealed sources reported in 2022.

There were 13 lost or stolen sealed sources and 4 found or recovered sealed sources reported in 2023.

Transaction statistics

The NSSR is populated by licensees reporting their transactions via the online SSTS interface or by other means such as fax or email. Figures 5, 6, and 7 show transactions entered in the SSTS in 2023, statistics for import and export of sealed sources, and the percentage of online SSTS transactions from 2019 to 2023, respectively. The CNSC publishes SSTS transaction data as part of the Government of Canada’s Open Data initiative.

Figure 5: Text version

A chart shows total number and the number of each type of SSTS transaction in 2023. Of the total 59,175 SSTS transactions in 2023, 141 or 0.2% were Cancel, 4,093 or 7% were Change, 13,782 or 23% were Create, 3,256 or 6% were Exchange, 13,824 or 23% were Export, 14,869 or 25% were Import, 4,541 or 8% were Receive, and 4,669 or 8% were Transfer.

Users of nuclear substances in Canada routinely import and export sealed sources in accordance with their licences.

Figure 6: Text version

A graph and table show the number of sealed sources imported into Canada and exported from Canada from 2019 to 2023.

There were 13,011 sealed sources imported and 16,785 sealed sources exported in 2019.

There were 10,055 sealed sources imported and 17,253 sealed sources exported in 2020.

There were 14,247 sealed sources imported and 16,286 sealed sources exported in 2021.

There were 10,674 sealed sources imported and 16,863 sealed sources exported in 2022.

There were 14,869 sealed sources imported and 13,776 sealed sources exported in 2023.

Licensees report transactions online (through the SSTS Web portal) or via email or fax to the CNSC. Transactions reported to the CNSC via email or fax are entered into the system by CNSC staff on behalf of the licensee.

Figure 7: Text version

A graph and table show the percentage of SSTS web transactions relative to total SSTS transactions from 2019 to 2023.

93% of SSTS transactions were performed online in 2019.

98% of SSTS transactions were performed online in 2020.

96% of SSTS transactions were performed online in 2021.

94% of SSTS transactions were performed online in 2022.

96% of SSTS transactions were performed online in 2023.

Conclusion

The licensees’ continued use of the SSTS indicate that its implementation, as well as that of the NSSR, has been effective, and that Canada is maintaining its commitment to the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources.

Additional resources

• Reports on Lost or Stolen Sealed Sources and Radiation Devices
• Sealed Source Tracking System
• Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations
• Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations
• Sealed Source Tracking System Open Data