ICENS Acquires Gamma Irradiation Technology

A multipurpose gamma irradiation machine, which will be used in combatting the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito, to boost the production of climate change-resilient crops, among other benefits, is expected to arrive in the island by May.

The gamma irradiation process uses Cobalt 60 radiation for a variety of applications, including sterilisation, decontamination and materials modification.

It has proven to be safe, reliable and highly effective for the sterilisation of products in the medical, pharmaceutical and food safety industries.

The technology has also been used successfully to generate several positive mutations in crops, as well as for pathogen reduction and pest control in seeds.

Director General of the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Professor Charles Grant, told JIS News that the importation of the equipment is a follow-through on conversations with the Government “who had expressed interest in the possibility of having nuclear technology as part of the energy mix for Jamaica in combination with renewables”.

He added that the technology will lend itself to two major projects in the initial stages.

These are the sterile insect technique for the eradication of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for the transmission of the dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses.

“We all know how this [dengue outbreak] devastated our economy when it came in 2016 and we lost about 0.5 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP) due to illness,” he noted.

“Now, in a country where we usually have GDP of 1-1.5 per cent, when we lose 0.5 per cent it is significant. So, if we can work to reduce the population of these mosquitos using gamma radiation technology, I think it will have a great benefit to the economy,” he contended.

The gamma irradiation machine will also be utilised in the agricultural sector for plant mutagenesis.

Professor Grant said there has been success in using the technology to improve crops such as ginger and sweet yam.

“By having our own gamma irradiator, we will be able to look at a vast array of agricultural products and prepare ourselves for the upcoming climate change. These crops can be made to be climate and drought resilient. So, there’s a lot in the future that I’m really hoping will have a huge impact on our economy,” he pointed out.

Given the multipurpose abilities of the gamma irradiation technology, it will also be used for another component of the sterile insect technique, which is the eradication of the West Indian fruit fly.

Professor Grant told JIS News that these flies are “responsible for a great deal of the spoilage of crops and also serve as a non-tariff trade barrier because a lot of countries will not allow the importation of what we produce because of the infestation”.

He shared that the technology can also be applied in the post-harvest treatment of crops by extending their shelf life, thereby resulting in less spoilage each year.

Another possible use of the gamma irradiation machine is for the sterilisation of medical equipment.

“There are a lot of pieces of equipment now that are used in the medical profession that simply have to be discarded because the previous ways of sterilising them, using certain chemicals turned out to be carcinogens, so we are no longer allowed to use those chemicals,” the Professor pointed out.

He told JIS News that ICENS is working closely with the Hazardous Substances Regulatory Authority (HSRA) to ensure that the technology is transferred “successfully and safely” to industry.