1.1 This guide outlines dosimetric procedures to be followed forthe radiation sterilization of live insects for use in pestmanagement programs. The primary use of irradiated, reproductivelysterile insects is in the Sterile Insect Technique, where largenumbers of sterile insects are released into the field to mate withand thus control pest populations of the same species. A secondaryuse of irradiated insects is as benign "hosts" for rearing insectparasitoids. If followed, the procedures outlined in this guidewill help to ensure that insects processed with ionizing radiationfrom gamma, electron, or X-ray sources receive absorbed doseswithin a predetermined range. Information on effective dose rangesfor specific applications of insect sterilization, or onmethodology for determining effective dose ranges, is not withinthe scope of this guide.

Note 1—Dosimetry is only one component of a total qualitycontrol program to ensure that irradiated insects are adequatelysterilized and fully competitive or otherwise suitable for theirintended purpose.

1.2 This guide covers dosimetry in the irradiation of insectsfor these types of irradiators: self-contained dry-storage¹³⁷Cs or ⁶⁰Co irradiators, larger-scale gammairradiators, and electron accelerators. Additional, detailedinformation on dosimetric procedures to be followed in installationqualification, process qualification, and routine productprocessing can be found in ISO/ASTM Practices 51608 (X-ray,bremsstrahlung facilities), 51649 (electron beam facilities), and51702 (large-scale gamma facilities).

1.3 The absorbed dose for insect sterilization is typicallywithin the range of 20 Gy to 600 Gy.

1.4 This guide refers, throughout the text, specifically toreproductive sterilization of insects. It is equally applicable toradiation sterilization of invertebrates from other taxa (forexample, Acarina, Gastropoda) and to irradiation of live insects orother invertebrates for other purposes (for example, inducingmutations), presuming the absorbed dose is within range specifiedin 1.3.

1.5 This guide also covers the use of radiation-sensitiveindicators for the visual and qualitative indication that theinsects have been irradiated.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establishappropriate safety and health practices and determine theapplicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.