Beneficial Uses of Cobalt-60

In the mid-1950s the increasing demand for sterile single-use medical devices led to a rapid expansion in the use of gamma irradiation to sterilize products as the technology provided a very effective means of ensuring sterility. Since then the range of applications that benefit from Cobalt-60 irradiation has grown enormously. A diverse array of products are now routinely processed to improve their characteristics and to meet market requirements. Irradiation using Cobalt-60 is an international industry that positively impacts daily on the health and wellbeing of a large proportion of the world’s population.