DFA: PNRI prepares for this year's electron beam facility

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) has started preparations for having an electron beam (EB) facility in the Philippines in 2012. Dr. Lucille Abad of the PNRI visited the Department of Chemistry of Hacettepe University in Ankara early last month as part of the preparations. "To build up the PNRI's capability for EB radiation processing applications, Dr. Abad visited the Hacettepe University's Polymer Group which is under the supervision of Prof. Olgun Güven," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. On the other hand, a PNRI staff is scheduled for a four-month fellowship in Hacateppe University laboratory for the development of a radiation grafted matrix as saxitoxin (red tide toxin) adsorbent. Abad, a 2011 Dangal ng Bayan awardee, completed her Ph.D. Program in Nuclear Engineering and Management at the University of Tokyo. The DFA said her visit brought in several new ideas on radiation processing that could be useful for PNRI's new e-beam technology program, including:

Presently, EB facilities have applications in various fields including in the irradiation of food. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, irradiating raw meat and poultry could eliminate bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter. It added irradiating prepared ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats could eliminate the risk of Listeria from such foods. "While the group at Hacettepe University's focus is essentially on basic researches, PNRI, as an agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), concentrates on the development of the technology for specific applications in accordance with the science and technology (S&T) objectives of the Philippines," the DFA said. On the other hand, the DFA said Güven visited PNRI prior to Abad's visit to Hacettepe's laboratory. "Knowing the needs and conditions of research of the Radiation Processing Group at PNRI, it is his desire to forge collaboration between the two institutes," the DFA said. Meanwhile, Abad intends to invite Güven for a visit at PNRI as a technical expert in 2012. "The PNRI anticipates that such collaboration will promote new modes of cooperation between the two institutes that will foster scientific exchanges beneficial to both parties," the DFA said. During Abad's visit, Güven's offered her a taste of different Turkish food along with Turkey's tea and coffee. He also offered a visit to the ancient ruins of the Ankara Citadel. Abad's visit stemmed from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Technical Cooperation (TC) Program, TC Project (PHI/8/026) for the 2009-2011 cycle on the establishment of an EB facility in the Philippines. Under this project, IAEA had committed to allot €550,000 (PhP30,856,650) for the purchase of an EB accelerator and €123,280 (PhP6,916,377) for staff development. — LBG, GMA News