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United States General Accounting Office: 
GAO: 

Report to Congressional Requesters: 

April 2002: 

Diffuse Security Threats: 

Technologies for Mail Sanitization Exist, but Challenges Remain: 

GAO-02-365: 

United States General Accounting Office: 
Washington, DC 20548: 

April 23, 2002: 

The Honorable Henry A. Waxman: 
Ranking Minority Member: 
Committee on Government Reform: 
House of Representatives: 

The Honorable Danny K Davis: 
Ranking Minority Member:
Subcommittee on Civil Service, Census, and Agency Organization: 
Committee on Government Reform: 
House of Representatives: 

The attacks of September 11, 2001, and recent anthrax exposures have 
heightened long-standing concerns about the proliferation of 
biological weapons and the United States's ability to quickly respond 
to exposure to such weapons. In particular, the United States needs to 
identify technologies that can be used to protect against biological 
weapons, such as anthrax, without harming humans. In light of these 
concerns, you requested that we identify the technologies that the 
United States Postal Service (USPS) is currently using to sanitize the 
mail. In addition, you asked that we identify the major issues 
associated with these technologies, including current applications, 
occupational safety matters, effects on materials, testing, operations 
and processing capabilities, costs, and implementation. 

To address these objectives, we met with officials from USPS, the 
Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, and industry experts; 
reviewed literature and documents on commercially available ionizing 
radiation technologies; and visited existing irradiation facilities in 
Lima, Ohio, and Bridgeport, New Jersey. In addition, we reviewed the 
strengths and limitations for the forms of ionizing radiation 
technologies we assessed. We also analyzed acquisition and life-cycle 
costs for ionizing radiation technologies. However, due to the 
proprietary, competition-sensitive nature of these costs, we did not 
include them in this report. 

We performed our work from November 2001 through March 2002, in 
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

On February 13, 2002, we provided a detailed briefing to your office 
on the results of this work. The purpose of this report is to provide 
the briefing slides to you. These slides are included as the appendix. 

In our briefing, we reported that ionizing radiation has emerged as 
the leading current technology for mail sanitization. This technology 
is commonly used for sterilizing medical products; preparing food for 
human consumption by reducing the bacterial contamination of meat, 
poultry, eggs, and vegetables; and delaying the ripening or sprouting 
of fresh fruit to control insects and parasites in foods. When 
sufficient dosages are used, ionizing radiation can also decontaminate 
biological weapons such as anthrax. However, ionizing radiation may 
have adverse effects on mailed material (e.g., some paper products may 
be scorched), and it may not be directly applicable to some types of 
mail such as parcels, boxes, and large packages. In addition, applying 
ionizing radiation (irradiation) in a mail-processing environment 
requires taking radiation and biohazard precautions, such as shielding 
the radiation source with concrete vaults and wearing protective gear 
if there are known contaminants. 

While USPS currently has two contracts to irradiate the mail, there 
are many issues that must be addressed to expand the use of ionizing 
radiation technology. For instance, the USPS will need to assess (1) 
how it will integrate this technology with the current mail-processing 
equipment and (2) the technology's associated costs, schedule, 
benefits, and risks. 

We shared the results of our work with the postmaster general and 
chief executive officer of the USPS, and the agency generally agreed 
with our findings. For several specific areas of our briefing, USPS 
offered suggestions for revision, which we have incorporated where 
appropriate. 

As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce the contents 
of this report earlier, we plan no further distribution of it until 30 
days from the date of this letter. At that time, we will provide 
copies to the chair of the House Government Reform Committee; the 
chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate 
Committees on Appropriations; the Subcommittee on International 
Security, Proliferation and Federal Service, Senate Committee on 
Governmental Affairs; the postmaster general and chief executive 
officer, USPS; and other interested parties upon request. This report 
will also be available at our Web site at [hyperlink, 
http://www.gao.gov]. 

Should you or your offices have any questions concerning this report, 
please contact me at (202) 512-6412 or Madhav Panwar, director, at 
(202) 512-6228. We can also be reached by e-mail at rhodesk@gao.gov 
and panwarm@gao.gov, respectively. Individuals making key 
contributions to the briefing and this report were Sushil Sharma, 
David Gootnick, Nabajyoti Barkakati, Rahul Gupta, Karen Richey, and 
Yvette Banks. 

Sincerely yours, 

Signed by: 

Keith A. Rhodes: 
Chief Technologist, Applied Research and Methods: 

[End of section] 

Appendix: 

Sanitization of U.S. Mail: 
	
Assessment of Ionizing Radiation Technologies and Related Issues: 

Briefing for the Committee on Government Reform and the Subcommittee 
on Civil Service, Census, and Agency Organization: 

House of Representatives: 

February 13, 2002: 

Purpose and Outline: 

To provide an assessment of existing ionizing radiation technologies 
that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is using to sanitize mail 
and issues related to those technologies. 

Outline: 

* Objectives, Scope, and Methodology; 
* Background; 
* Summary; 
* Ionizing Radiation; 
* Vendor Operations and Processing Capabilities; 
* Costs; 
* Long-Term Implementation Issues; 
* Conclusions; 
* Further Work Needed. 

[End of section] 

Objectives, Scope, and Methodology: 

Our objectives were to describe (1) current technologies being used 
for sanitization of U.S. mail and (2) current applications, effects on 
materials, occupational safety issues, testing, operations and 
processing capabilities, costs, and long-term implementation issues 
for these technologies. 

We collected and analyzed information and documentation on anthrax and 
the use of ionizing radiation to sanitize the mail, as well as actions 
taken by USPS to implement this technology. 

We interviewed industry experts, and officials from the Armed Forces 
Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) and USPS. 

In addition, we analyzed acquisition and life-cycle costs for ionizing 
radiation technologies. However, due to the proprietary, competition-
sensitive nature of the vendor costs, we did not include them in this 
report. 

We conducted our review at USPS offices in Washington, D.C., and 
Merrifield, Virginia. We also visited existing irradiation facilities 
for the two vendors-—Titan Corporation (Titan) in Lima, Ohio, and Ion 
Beam Applications (IBA) in Bridgeport, New Jersey (N.J.). We conducted 
our review from November 2001 through March 2002, in accordance with 
generally accepted auditing standards. 

[End of section] 

Background: USPS Anthrax Crisis: 

Statistics as of December 6, 2001: 

* 4 known letters containing anthrax; 

* 11 confirmed cases of inhalation anthrax; 5 deaths; 

* 7 confirmed and 4 suspected cases of cutaneous (i.e., skin) anthrax; 

* 284 USPS facilities tested for anthrax contamination; 

* 23 USPS facilities found to be contaminated; 

* 2 USPS facilities (Trenton and Brentwood) remain closed; 

* 8,424 USPS employees offered antibiotics (D.C., N.J., and N.Y.C.); 

* Approximately 1.8 million pieces of mail requiring decontamination. 

Background: Anthrax Description: 

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming
bacterium Bacillus anthracis.	 

Anthrax spores are: 

* metabolically inactive, 

* able to survive for decades or longer, 

* approximately 1 micron in diameter, and, 

* killed by dry heat at 320°F for 2 hours. 

Anthrax spores germinate when they enter a favorable environment, such 
as blood or tissues. 

Three types of anthrax infection can occur: cutaneous (skin), 
inhalation, and gastrointestinal. 

Background: Anthrax as a Weapon: 

At least 17 nations are believed to have offensive biological weapons 
programs. 

At least 7 of our potential adversaries have worked to develop an 
offensive biological warfare capability using anthrax. 

Iraq has admitted to producing and weaponizing anthrax.	 

The former Soviet Union produced hundreds of tons of weapons-grade 
anthrax spores. In 1979, the accidental release of a gram of anthrax 
spores, from a military microbiology facility in one of the former 
Soviet Union territories, resulted in at least 79 cases of anthrax, 
leading to 68 deaths. 

Expert opinion varies on the ability of individuals or small groups to 
obtain and disseminate anthrax.	 

According to DOD, anthrax is an effective biological weapon: 

Inhalation is almost always deadly if not treated early and 
effectively. 

Spores can be produced in quantities using basic knowledge of biology. 

Spores can be stored for decades without losing potency. Spores can be 
easily spread by a variety of means. Exposure is insidious: 

* no cloud or color, 

* no smell, 

* no taste, 

* short incubation, and, 

* no indication of attack. 

[End of section] 

Summary: 

Ionizing radiation is the leading current technology being used for 
sanitization of U.S. mail, assuming effective dosage can be uniformly 
delivered to the target. 

Two forms of ionizing radiation that can be used to sanitize the U.S. 
mail are electron beam (e-beam) and x-ray. Both have strengths and 
limitations. 

* E-beams provide high-volume mail sanitization, but have limited 
penetration (i.e., are not effective for large packages). 

* X-rays can penetrate deeper than e-beams, but they are not as 
efficient. 

Current applications of ionizing radiation include sterilizing medical 
products and preparing food for human consumption. 

Ionizing radiation may have adverse effects on mailed material, such 
as scorching paper products. 

Ionizing radiation will require addressing occupational safety issues, 
such as the need for precautions against radiation and biohazards. 

Testing performed by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute 
(AFRRI) confirmed that anthrax spores are rendered harmless by 
ionizing radiation. 

USPS has contracts to irradiate the mail at two operational facilities 
in Ohio and N.J.; however, additional processing capabilities would be 
required to implement ionizing radiation technology nationwide, if 
such a decision were to be adopted. 

USPS requested funding, through June 2002, to sanitize the mail. Long-
term vendor cost estimates to irradiate the mail nationwide range 
between approximately $880 million to about $4.2 billion over a ten-
year period. 

Long-term issues, such as integrating ionizing radiation into the mail 
process, have not yet been fully defined by USPS. 

USPS will need to determine: 

* the amount and types of mail to be processed, 

* the location and number of sites to irradiate mail, 

* the mix of technologies needed to irradiate mail, and, 

* the costs, benefits, and risks associated with these technologies. 

[End of section] 

Ionizing Radiation: Characteristics: 

Ionizing radiation is any radiation that has sufficient energy to 
remove electrons from atoms. 

Ionizing radiation includes: 

* alpha (a) decay (disintegration of an atom or molecule that emits an 
alpha particle—a highly charged twin of an He nucleus), 

* beta (b) decay (disintegration of a nucleus that emits either a 
negatively or positively charged electron—a negatron or positron) such 
as e-beam, and, 

* gamma (g) decay (disintegration of a nucleus that emits a highly 
charged photon) such as x-ray. 

Ionizing radiation can be generated with an accelerator or a 
radioactive source. 

[Figure: refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

Radiation Source: 

Alpha Particles: 
Stopped by a sheet of paper; 

Beta Particles: 
Stopped by a layer of clothing or by a few millimeters of a substance
such as aluminum; 

Gamma Rays: 
Stopped by several feet of concrete or a few inches of lead. 

[End of figure] 

Ionizing radiation: 

* E-beams are generated by a heated filament. A voltage gradient 
accelerates the electrons through a vacuum tube. Electrons can also be 
accelerated by using radio frequency (RF) microwave power. 

* X-rays are generated by bombarding a metal (usually a heavy metal) 
with high-velocity electrons. 

* Gamma rays are generated by the decay of radioactive sources. 
However, because the presence of highly radioactive sources may 
present additional safety hazards to workers, gamma ray irradiation 
was eliminated as a method of sanitizing the mail. 

Various manufacturers produce equipment to generate ionizing radiation 
such as linear accelerators, Dynamitrons, and Rhodotrons. 

Ionizing Radiation: LINAC (Linear Accelerator): 

Electrons emitted from a heated filament are accelerated, under the 
action of an electric field, in a long vacuum pipe then spread using a 
magnetic scanning device to provide full treatment of products. 

[Figure: refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

How It Works: 
Injector; 
Input RF Power; 
Accelerating Waveguide; 
Magnetic Scanning System; 
Product Container; 
Process Conveyor. 

Source: © 2002, Titan Corporation. 

[End of figure] 

Ionizing Radiation: Dynamitron: 

[Figure: refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

Source: © 2002, IBA. 

[End of figure] 

Dynamitrons work on the same principle as television tubes. Electrons 
are generated by a heated filament, which forms the electron gun; a 
voltage gradient draws the electrons away from the gun and accelerates 
them through the vacuum tube. 

Ionizing Radiation: Rhodotron: 

Electrons are accelerated as they pass through properly oriented 
electrical fields. 

[Figure: refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

Source: © 2002, IBA. 

[End of figure] 

Ionizing Radiation: Titan's Concept: 

Figure: Double-sided mail irradiation: 

[Refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

Source: © 2002, Titan Corp. 

[End of figure] 

Ionizing Radiation: Current Applications: 
	
Range of radiation dose[A] by target type: 

* <1 kGy is used to delay physiological processes, such as ripening or 
sprouting of fresh fruits and vegetables, and to control insects and 
parasites in foods. 

* 1-30 kGy is used to reduce bacterial contamination of meat, poultry, 
eggs, spices, and vegetables for human consumption. 

* 10-40 kGy is used for medical product sterilization. 

Table: 

Irradiation Target: Food; 
Net Effect: Delay ripening, insect deinfestation; 
Dose Range (kGy): <1-30. 
		
Irradiation Target: Medical products; 
Net Effect: Sterilization; 
Dose Range (kGy): 10-40. 

Irradiation Target: Polyolefin foams and heat-shrinkable materials; 
Net Effect: Crosslinking and memory imparted; 
Dose Range (kGy): 40-250. 
		
Irradiation Target: Rubber and fluoropolymers; 
Net Effect: Vulcanization and degradation; 
Dose Range (kGy): 80-1500. 
		
Irradiation Target: Gemstones; 
Net Effect: Coloration; 
Dose Range (kGy): 10,000+. 

[A] Radiation dose is measured in kilograys (kGy). 

Ionizing Radiation: E-beams and X-rays: 

E-beam machines can also be designed to produce x-rays to irradiate 
parcels and large boxes. 

X-rays are emitted when a high-speed e-beam bombards a suitable 
metallic target, such as tungsten. 

* This process generates heat and requires a cooling system. 

* 99 percent of the e-beam's power is lost as heat. 
* The throughput (amount of material irradiated in a given time) is 
greatly reduced. 

Ionizing Radiation: E-beam: 

Strengths: 

* High volume; 
* Effective for anthrax and bacterial spores; 
* Consistent results when packaging density is maintained; 
* Not toxic, corrosive, or staining. 

Limitations: 

* Limited penetration; 
* High-density materials will inhibit penetration (packing density 
must be maintained); 
* Limited to letters and flat mail; 
* Source must be shielded; 
* Raises temperature of mail to 150°F or greater; 
* Scorches some materials; 
* Degrades certain materials; 
* Produces ozone in bagged mail. 

Ionizing Radiation: X-rays: 

Strengths: 

* Deep penetration; 
* Effective for anthrax and bacterial spores; 
* Packaging not critical; 
* Handles items such as parcels and boxes; 
* Density not issue for mail; 
* Not toxic, corrosive, or staining. 

Limitations: 

* Limited conveyor speed and radiation power (slower throughput); 
* High cost (less than 10 percent as efficient as e-beam); 
* Activation of irradiated material; 
* Source must be shielded; 
* Raises temperature of mail to 150°F or greater; 
* Scorches some materials; 
* Degrades certain materials; 
* Produces ozone in bags. 

Ionizing Radiation: Examples of Effects on Materials: 

* Live material (possibly killed); 
* Lab samples (destroyed); 
* Pharmaceuticals (potency altered); 
* Food (altered taste); 
* Eyeglasses and other glass products (fogged); 
* Film (damaged); 
* Smart Cards (possible data loss); 
* Some paper products (scorched). 

Ionizing Radiation: Occupational Safety Issues: 

Radiation safety requires shielding, processing safeguards, dosimeter 
monitoring of employees, and radiation safety and quality control 
officers. 

(A dosimeter measures the amount of radiation applied to a target) 

Biohazard precautions require procedures for facility bio-safety, 
personal protective gear, environmental monitoring, and disposal of 
materials. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration (OSHA), and state public health authorities all 
regulate radiation safety issues. 

If gamma radiation is used, environmental clean-up and nuclear waste 
issues emerge. 

Ionizing Radiation: Testing: 

Mail sanitization is a stringent and standardized process that renders 
treated anthrax in the mail harmless for humans, according to Armed 
Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI). 

Mail can be sanitized by delivering sufficient doses of ionizing 
radiation to disrupt or destroy DNA, RNA, proteins, and other cell 
components, rendering bacteria harmless. 

Ionizing radiation renders anthrax spores harmless; however, the 
spores will remain detectable by advanced techniques. 

Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) conducted tests 
which confirmed that anthrax spores are rendered harmless by ionizing 
radiation. The tests were conducted at three sites: 

* AFRRI Laboratory, 

* Lima, Ohio, and, 

* Bridgeport, N.J. 

The French achieved similar results testing the effects of cobalt-60 
on anthrax. 

AFRRI's Study: The Efficacy of Electron Beam to Decontaminate Chemical 
and Biological Warfare Agents: Phase One (July 30, 2001). This study: 

* tested a series of chemical and biological agent surrogates under 
very controlled conditions to determine the kill effectiveness of e-
beam, and; 

* established dose values to render Bacillus anthracis-Sterne strain 
and Bacillus subtilis var. globigii (BG-anthrax simulant) ineffective. 

The efficacy of the standard minimum dose was tested on-site at Lima, 
Ohio, and Bridgeport, N.J. 

On November 1, 2001, AFRRI tested the efficacy of the standard minimum 
dose at Lima under the following on-site conditions: 

* packaging and orientation of mail, 

* conveyor speed and radiation power (to determine throughput), and, 

* electron energy (to determine penetration). 

On-site conditions demonstrated that: 

* delivered dose is 1 to 2 times standard minimum dose (dosimetry), 
and, 

* BG simulant is rendered harmless as verified by negative cultures. 
Similar results were achieved on site at the Bridgeport facility. 

Testing with BG simulant confirmed that the established minimum dose 
deactivates spores. 

Figure: Refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

Dosimetry Results: 

Dose Map of Titan "Test Box:" 

Indicated on illustration: 

* Dosimeters on envelope; 
* Dosimeters on box inner surface; 
* Dose range 60-70 kGy; 
* Dose range 71-100 kGy; 
* Dose range 100+ kGy; 
* Electron beam direction in red. 

Absorbed dose measured with NIST alanine reference dosimeters 

Note: NIST represents the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. 

[End of figure] 

AFRRI's lab tests confirmed that after irradiation the cultures for 
Bacillus subtilis var. globigii (BG-anthrax simulant) were negative. 

Figure: Biological Indicator Test Procedure: 

[Refer to PDF for image: illustration] 

[End of figure] 

[End of section] 

Operations and Processing Capabilities: Ionizing Radiation Vendors: 

USPS had contracts with two vendors, IBA and Titan, to initially 
irradiate mail that was backlogged from the Brentwood and Trenton mail 
processing facilities. 

Currently, these vendors are under contract to irradiate letters and 
flats addressed to congressional and government offices in ZIP Codes 
202, 203, 204, and 205. 

Neither of these vendors is irradiating parcels or large boxes because 
the x-ray equipment is not ready. 

Operations and Processing Capabilities: IBA: Current Facility: 

IBA has a facility in Bridgeport, N.J. that is being used to irradiate 
mail. 

The facility has a single Rhodotron capable of generating both e-beam 
and x-rays. 

It was originally designed to irradiate: 

* polymers at high (>200 kGy) dosage using e-beam, and; 

* frozen food (hamburgers) at low dosage using x-ray. 

Currently operating in e-beam mode at about 170 kW@10 MeV (17 mA). 

X-ray equipment not yet functional at N.J. facility. 

[Figure: illustration of Rhodotron irradiating down] 

Source: © 2002, IBA. 

[End of figure] 

[Figure: 6 photographs] 

Receiving room; 
Inside receiving room; 
Conveyor system; 
Control room; 
Tray that holds mail; 
Tray with boxes of mail. 

[End of figure] 

* Conveyor speed was increased to handle mail. 

* Roller conveyor system is being used. 

* Mail must arrive packaged flat, double bagged, boxed, and sealed. 
Each box is irradiated twice, once per side. 

* Sealed boxes are manually flipped over for second pass. Dosimetry is 
performed on trays. 

* Throughput is 4,500 lbs per hour. 

* Current biohazard precautions include visual inspection of incoming 
mail in clean area by personnel in full protective gear. 

* The availability requirement is 90 percent (current USPS contract); 
IBA estimates over 95 percent at other facilities. 

Operations and Processing Capabilities: Titan: Current Facility: 

Titan has a facility in Lima, Ohio that is being used to irradiate 
mail. 

The facility has a single accelerator operating at 18 kW@10 MeV (1.8 
mA). 

USPS purchased eight additional systems that will be used to assess 
longterm use. 

The Lima facility was initially designed to sterilize medical products 
and has no x-ray equipment. 

The availability requirement is 90 percent (current USPS contract); 
Titan estimates 96 percent at its other facilities in San Diego and 
Denver that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

[Figure: 6 photographs] 

Tray with boxes of mail; 
Conveyor system (2) photos; 
Box of mail; 
Control room; 
Irradiated mail in truck. 

[End of figure] 

* Conveyor speed was decreased to handle mail. 

* Fixed-carrier conveyor system is being used. 

* Mail arrives packaged vertically in trays, double bagged, boxed, and 
sealed. 

* Each box is irradiated four times (conveyor rotates boxes 
automatically for each pass). 

* Dosimetry is performed on trays. 

* Throughput is 1,000 lbs per hour. 

* Current biohazard precautions include masks and gloves in pre-
irradiation area. 

[Figure: illustration of Dosimeter] 

[End of figure] 

[End of section] 

Costs: USPS Request for Supplemental Funding on 11/13/01: 

Table: Mail Sanitization and Security Requirements: (Dollars in 
Millions): 

Requirements Through June 2002: Sanitization[A]; 	
Estimated Cost: $307.5; 
Percent Total: 24%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: Purchase and installation of vacuums 
and hepafilters; 
Estimated Cost: $310.0; 
Percent Total: 24%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: Biological air monitoring and 
detection; 
Estimated Cost: $306.5; 
Percent Total: 24%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: Operations and disruptions of mail; 
Estimated Cost: $152.4; 
Percent Total: 12%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: Other costs (testing, antibiotics, 
gloves, and security); 
Estimated Cost: $139.7; 
Percent Total: 11%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: Anthrax decontamination; 
Estimated Cost: $44.9; 
Percent Total: 4%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: September 11, 2001-related costs; 
Estimated Cost: $10.5; 
Percent Total: 1%. 

Requirements Through June 2002: Total; 
Estimated Cost: $1,271.5; 
Percent Total: 100%. 

Deduction for initial $175 million emergency funding: 
Estimated Cost: ($175.0); 
Percent Total: 14%. 

Total additional request: 
Estimated Cost: $1,096.5; 
Percent Total: 86%. 

[A] Sanitization represents costs for purchasing eight electron beam 
systems, adjusting for space or renovation requirements,
changes to existing material handling systems for revised mail flow, 
and development of a testing protocol for chlorine dioxide gas. 

[End of table] 

Costs: Vendor Long-Term Estimates: 

Factors affecting cost estimates include: 

* volume of mail to be irradiated (pounds per hour), 

* conveyor speed, 

* machine power, and, 

* number of locations for installation. 

Long-term cost estimates for irradiating mail nationwide range from 
approximately $880 million to about $4.2 billion over a ten-year period.
	
[End of section] 

Long-Term Implementation Issues: USPS: 

USPS issued Emergency Preparedness Plan for Protecting Postal 
Employees and Postal Customers From Exposure to Biohazardous Material 
and for Ensuring Mail Security Against Bioterror Attacks, March 6, 2002.
GAO will be evaluating the technologies identified in this plan and 
their implications such as cost, schedule, benefits, and risks. 

USPS will need to determine: 

* the amount and types of mail to be processed; 

* the location and number of sites to irradiate mail; 

* whether to irradiate mail at USPS facilities or build new facilities; 

* what mix of technologies will be used to irradiate mail; 

* the costs, benefits, and risks associated with these technologies; 
and; 

* whether the resources are available to: 

- manage the acquisition and installation of irradiation equipment, 

- train personnel to operate irradiation equipment, 

- run and oversee the irradiation operations, and, 

- conduct periodic testing on mail and equipment. 

Ionizing radiation equipment will require: 

* new or modified facilities, 

* concrete (about 10-12 ft) and steel shielding, 

* conveyor design and installation, 

* appropriate permits (OSHA, EPA, and local certification), and, 

* additional venting or cooling capacity. 

Government and industry need to define standards for mail irradiation 
and monitoring. 

Long-Term Implementation Issues: Contractors: 

IBA: 

* Existing facility in Gainesville, Florida-—owned by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture-—has the shielding needed, as well as 
skilled workers. 

* Rhodotron and Dynamitron production: 

- one Rhodotron and one Dynamitron in stock, and, 

- about 6 months are needed to prepare for production. 

Titan: 

* Accelerators: 

- a number of accelerators available for installation, and, 

- additional production requires 6 to 9 months of lead time. 

[End of section] 

Conclusions: 

* Ionizing radiation technologies can kill anthrax spores. 

* Current irradiation facilities are not designed specifically to 
sanitize mail. 

* Enhancements to mail security should be risk-based and, to the 
extent practicable, done in conjunction with enhancements to mail 
operations and efficiency. 

* E-beams have high throughput and low penetration (can only penetrate 
3 to 6 inches of mail). 

* X-rays have low throughput and high penetration (can penetrate 14 
to18 inches of mail). 

* Both ionizing radiation technologies adversely affect some material 
in the mail. 

Further Work Needed: 

* Ionizing radiation for other biochemical threats (i.e., viruses, 
chemicals, and other strains of anthrax). 

* Materials adversely affected by ionizing radiation. 

* Development of industry standards for sanitization of mail. 

* External validation of industry data on x-ray activation. 

* Pre-scanning of mail. 

* Ultraviolet, detection, and filtration systems for USPS facilities. 

* Biohazard precautions and other workplace safety procedures. 

* Assessment of the costs, benefits, risks, and schedule for 
implementing irradiation technologies to sanitize all mail including 
letters, parcels, and large packages. 

[End of section] 

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To order by Phone: 

Voice: (202) 512-6000 

TDD: (202) 512-2537 

Fax: (202) 512-6061 

To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs: 
Contact: 

Web site: www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm 

E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov 

Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470: 

Public Affairs: 

Jeff Nelligan, managing director, NelliganJ@gao.gov: 
(202) 512-4800: 
U.S. General Accounting Office: 
441 G Street NW, Room 7149: 
Washington, D.C. 20548: