A sign reading "beware of radioactive rays" in an X-ray room at a hospital. The city has beefed up the management of radioactive materials. [Zou Hong / China Daily]

Beijing will enforce a new standard on the use and storage of radioactive materials to guard against possible terrorist threats, according to Beijing Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision (BBQTS).

The new regulation, called the Security Requirements for Radioactive Material Warehouse, will become effective on Nov 1.

"This updated standard comes at the request of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau," Wang He, an official with the bureau told METRO.

The new regulation requires all radioactive material warehouses to be equipped with at least two guards, working around the clock, along with two different types of camera monitoring systems and alarms.

The warehouses are further required to record the checking in and checking out of the materials with specific books and responsible people, according to Wang.

In addition, drills on responses to radioactive material emergencies will be held annually, to protect against terrorist and criminal activities, Wang said.

"The best way to guard against radioactive crimes is to stop criminals from getting the materials."

Li Wei, director of the Security and Arms Control Research Institute, said: "There are mainly two ways radioactive substances can endanger the public. The first is through accumulated radiation, with the other being nuclear accidents."

"When we look at severe nuclear accidents, such as Chernobyl in Russia, both the environment and living things were affected. The remission of the disaster relates to the half life of the radioactive substance, which can take decades."

"There have been several cases of radioactive poisoning since the founding of the People's Republic of China," said Wang Dawei, a professor at the Chinese People's Public Security University.

He said most cases were caused when children or workers took materials home by accident.

He said China leads the world in detection and treatment of radiation poisoning, but there is much left to be done in disseminating basic knowledge among the public.

In addition to being picked up by accident, radioactive materials might also be used in terrorist attacks, such as "dirty bombs", Li said. He warned that a "dirty bomb" - which is a standard bomb laced with radioactive substances - would be extremely dangerous.

Though no cases of terrorist attacks using dirty bombs have been found so far, experts have decided to play safe.

"The maneuverability of the bomb, together with the damage and panic it might trigger, explains why we are so anxious," Li said.

"There is a trend toward terrorist attacks using radioactive substances, both globally and domestically," warned Li. "We know this because of increased radioactive material smuggling."

He added that the new rules would make important progress in the control of hazardous chemicals.

"Taking strict precautions is vital," he said. "Emergency gear should also be prepared, such as storing iodine tablets in hospitals that can counter radiation."

Beijing is home to 283 institutions and companies that possess radioactive materials