ALATI presentations at CIEMI – SPIA 2021

ALATI gave a series of dissemination talks on irradiation technology in Latin America at the 2021 CIEMI – SPIA Congress (XVII International Congress of Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects CIEMI-SPIA 2021).

On November 17th, several Latin American representatives of the Latin American Irradiation Association (ALATI) attended a virtual meeting to present the advances in the use of irradiation technology in the different parts of Latin America.

Among the exhibitors were Pablo Vasquez (Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research IPEN – Brazil), Daniel Perticaro(IONICS – Argentina), Walter Rangel Urrea (National Institute of Nuclear Research ININ – Mexico), Aníbal Abreu(Technological Laboratory of Uruguay LATU – Uruguay), Gerardo Meave (e-beam Agroindustrial – Mexico), Samir Somessari (Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research IPEN- CNNEN – Brazil), and Florinella Muñoz (National Polytechnic School – Ecuador).

During a series of talks, advances of research into the use of irradiation technology in health and food irradiation carried out by IPEN – Brazil were highlighted. Irradiation contributed, during the Covid pandemic, with the sterilization of masks for use in rural areas and in advances in the use of irradiation technology for research into COVID-19 vaccines.

Other countries also showed their progress, such is the case of the research carried out at the National Polytechnic School of Ecuador and the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay.

The chronology of the advances in the use of irradiation technology at a commercial level in Mexico was also shown, highlighting the increase in the volume of irradiated material in recent years and the development of the e-beam Agroindustrial plant contemplating its commercial operation by 2022.

Virtual visits to the IONICS gamma irradiation plant in Argentina and the IPEN’s e-beam irradiator in Brazil were provided.

The event highlighted the different applications of irradiation technology used in Latin America, both at the research level and its use on a commercial scale.