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| Sunday, 14 August 2005 |
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ITI and AEA to explore radiation facility for Industrial use The Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) both functioning under the Ministry of Science and Technology joined hands to explore the prospects of setting up a Radiation facility for Industrial use in Sri Lanka at a stakeholders meeting on "Commercial Applications of Radiation Processing and the prospects for a Radiation facility for Industrial Use in Sri Lanka" at the ITI Auditorium in Colombo. The discussions were facilitated by an opening presentation by Prof. Andrzej Chmielewski of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. Prof Tissa Vitarana, Minister for Science and Technology expressed the Government's commitment to assist in developing such a facility for Sri Lanka. More than 45 participants from the industry attended the meeting. Studies conducted over the past 12 years have shown a growing need for a moderate capacity Gamma Irradiation Plant in Sri Lanka with such plants being widely used globally as well as in the Asian region. Applications include sterilisation of medical products, preservation of food products such as seafood, spices and tea, and reduction of post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables prior to export. Yet another important application is in the sterilisation of latex gloves that can be exported as surgical gloves with 100% value addition to that exported as examination gloves. A Gamma Irradiation Plant owned by a private company is already being operated commercially in the Biyagama EPZ, sterilising the gloves it produces for export. A major medical glove manufacturer in Sri Lanka has set up a manufacturing facility in Thailand where irradiation facilities are available. In addition to the established and widely accepted commercial applications of Gamma Irradiation, a major additional benefit would be its availability for development of a wide range of products for agriculture and healthcare applications, based on irradiation techniques. |
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