Radioactivity in scrap metal is detected occasionally at metal recycling sites, and must be detected and removed to avoid injuries, large costs and the creation of radioactive waste.
Sometimes radioactive materials are disposed of improperly and end up in scrap metal yards or landfills. Melting radioactive materials with non-radioactive materials scrap metal will create recycled metal that is now radioactive.
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Radioactive materials should not be disposed of in the same manner as regular trash or recycling. There are special handling and disposal requirements for radioactive materials to keep radioactive materials out of regular junk yards and scrap metal yards.
Sometimes items containing small amounts of radioactive materials are disposed of improperly. This may be because the radioactive material is not marked properly, or the owner of the material does not follow proper disposal guidelines. These are often referred to as abandoned or orphaned sources.
