Nuclear power plant in NJ could soon be producing cobalt-60, a critical isotope used to sterilize medical devices

SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The nuclear power plant in Salem, New Jersey, could soon be used to produce a much-needed medical product.

The plan, which still needs U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval, is to use two reactors at the generating site to make cobalt-60.

“That isotope is used for a variety of applications, but mostly for the sterilization of single-use devices,” like drapes, gowns, syringes, gloves and catheters, said Richard Weins, with the Canadian company Nordion. “We take that radioactive cobalt-60 out. We bring it to our facility and we manufacture it into the finished product.”…

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