Based on a recent cleanup operation involving the disposal of many thousands of Sealed Sources, we discovered that less than 1% of Sealed Sources have any useful purpose or are ever reused. Companies claiming to reuse, recycle, and even sell them are likely storing the sources or transferring them to another company.

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The only radioactive sources and material that have any reuse value are Kr-85 and large multi-curie sources.  Some Sources that have been made in the past ten years may be of a configuration and quality that could be reused for its intended purpose.  Other than that, the likelihood of recycling is rare.  

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CONSIDER THIS:

• Companies accepting Americium Sources often pass them on to the DOE for final disposal, charging licensees exorbitant prices.  Most high-activity Am-241 sources may be registered with OSRP for free, and Bionomics technicians will pick up the source on behalf of the DOE.

• Most Sources used in medical applications have decayed to levels well below their useful activity, and are designed as one-time use sources, with no chance to recover the radioactivity.

• Most Industrial Gauges and Devices are of an age that the sources have decayed to an activity that cannot be reused in another device.

• Older sources have been found to be less reliable, and have higher failure rates.  

• Most manufacturers choose to purchase and use new sources and not reuse sources out of their old devices.

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With these facts in mind, we at Bionomics are uncompromising in treating our clients fairly and honestly.  Instead of our clients being unsure of whether their sources have been sent for final disposal or if they have a liability waiting to be discovered, we are transparent in our business practices.  If your devices, gauge, or instrument can be returned to the original manufacturer or actually reused, Bionomics will help facilitate the process.