Nordion Completes Divestiture of Belgian Operations

Best Medical Belgium Inc. Acquires MDS Nordion S.A.

OTTAWA, Canada, March 31, 2011 - Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ), a leading provider of products and
services to the global health science market, today announced the acquisition
of its Belgian operations by Best Medical Belgium Inc.

Best Medical has acquired all shares of MDS Nordion S.A, located in
Fleurus, Belgium. Best Medical will be operating three of the four Belgian
lines of business:

- Agiris (non-destructive testing equipment and sources)

- Glucotrace (imaging agent)

- Radiochemical business (generic cyclotron and reactor isotopes)

The fourth business, TheraSphere(R), a targeted liver cancer treatment,
is retained by Nordion and is not part of this transaction.

"We are pleased with the outcome of this divestiture," said Nordion CEO
Steve West. "This agreement with Best is aligned with our strategy to reduce
complexity, manage costs and focus on those product lines the Company
believes can generate positive, long-term returns for our shareholders."

Under the terms of this agreement, Best Medical has acquired all the
employees in Belgium, including related benefit and pension plans, except
employees directly supporting the TheraSphere business. Best Medical has also
acquired the Belgian facilities, including current and future decommissioning
and waste disposal requirements. As part of the agreement, Nordion will leave
approximately US$18 million in capital in the business.

"Best is committed to providing former MDS Nordion S.A. customers with a
smooth transition," said Best Medical CEO Krish Suthanthiran. "We will
continue to deliver a quality product and we anticipate little to no impact
on clients. Our company wants to expand and this acquisition represents an
excellent growth opportunity founded on well-established, proven products."

About Nordion Inc.

Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ) is a global specialty health science
company that provides market-leading products used for the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of medical
isotopes, targeted therapies and sterilization technologies that benefit the
lives of millions of people in more than 60 countries around the world. Our
products are used daily by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies,
medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories.
Nordion has more than 500 highly skilled employees in three locations. Find
out more at www.nordion.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute
"forward-looking statements". These statements are based on current beliefs
and assumptions of management, however are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to
differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news
release. For additional information with respect to certain of these
beliefs, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, please refer to Nordion's
Annual Information Form for fiscal 2010 available on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com and on EDGAR on www.sec.gov.

    For further information:

    MEDIA:
    Tamra Benjamin
    +1(613)592-3400 x.1022
    tamra.benjamin@nordion.com
    INVESTORS:
    Ana Raman
    +1(613)595-4580
    investor.relations@nordion.com

(NDN. NDZ)

MEDIA: Tamra Benjamin, +1(613)592-3400 x.1022, tamra.benjamin at nordion.com INVESTORS: Ana Raman, +1(613)595-4580, investor.relations at nordion.com