Table 1 Radioactive sources of concern for the construction of dirty bombs [12,13,14,15,16,17,18]

Cs-137

Radiation: β, ɣ

Calibration irradiator

Up to 2200

T_{1/2 phys:} 30.1 years

Blood irradiator

2000–7000 (typically 3000)

T_{1/2 eff.:} 109 days

Research irradiator

Up to 20,000

Powder, salt (CsCl)

Co-60

Radiation: β, ɣ

Teletherapy

1000–15,000

T_{1/2 phys:} 5.3 years

Gamma Knife

6000–7000

T_{1/2 eff.:} 1.6 years

Panoramic irradiator

1,000,000–7,000,000

Metal

Sr-90

Radiation: β

T_{1/2 phys:} 28.2 years

Radioisotope thermoelectric generator

20,000–250,000

T_{1/2 eff.:} 4.6 years

Ceramic (SrTiO₃)

Ir-92

Radiation: β, ɣ

T_{1/2 phys:} 73.8 days

Industrial radiography source

up to 1500

T_{1/2 eff.:} not available

Metal

Pu-238

Radiation: α, (ɣ)

Radioisotope thermoelectric generator

up to 150,000

T_{1/2 phys:} 87.7 years

T_{1/2 eff.:} 50 years

Ceramic (PuO₂)

Am-241

Radiation: α, ɣ

Well logging source

15–30

T_{1/2 phys:} 432.7 years

Smoke detectors

10^–6

T_{1/2 eff.:} 45 years

Pressed ceramic powder (AmO₂)

Cf-252

Radiation: α, neutron

T_{1/2 phys:} 2.65 years

Well logging source

2.5

T_{1/2 eff.:} 2.5 years

Ceramic (Cf₂O₃)