WELCOME to
the official
website of the
United States
Department of
Agriculture
(USDA) Radiation
Safety Staff.
The mission
of the Radiation
Safety Staff
is to implement
a comprehensive
radiation safety
program that
protects the
Department of
Agriculture's
employees and
the general
public from
harmful effects
of radiation
and assures
compliance with
applicable regulations.
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
The male flies are irradiated in the pupal stage which renders them sterile. After irradiation, the flies are then released into the atmosphere at an altitude of 2,000 feet above the ground.
Mass release of sterile flies suppresses or eliminates any introduced wild fly populations.