Re: Nuclear Medicine Radwaste question

[Dave Derenzo <dave@uic.edu>]

Having previously worked in the radiopharmaceutical industry, I can say 
that Mo-99, which is reactor produced and is the parent  of Tc-99m, 
definitely contains long-lived contaminants.  I believe several isotopes of 
Ru and Rh are present as well as others, but in pretty low 
concentrations.  Since we worked with hundreds of Ci, there was plenty 
of  these long-lived contaminants that remained after the decay of 
Mo-99.  I assume they would also be present in Mo/Tc generators.

Mo-99 is made in reactors.  In-111, Ga-67, F-18, I-123, are usually made in 
cyclotrons.  I am not sure about I-131 but I think it is reactor produced.

Dave Derenzo

At 01:10 PM 04/25/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>--============_-1255436771==_ma============
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
>
>I am trying to obtain some information about nuclear medicine. My
>nuclear medicine "experience" is from the 1970's. I hope that some of
>you can help me with two questions that have come to me.
>
>1 - Are short-lived radionuclides used in medical diagnosis and
>treatment often contaminated with long-lived radionuclides, some of
>which present a waste disposal problem?
>
>2 - Are many radionuclides used in medicine and biomedical research
>reactor-produced and therefore share many of the long-lived
>radioactive contaminants that characterize the waste of the nuclear
>power industry?
>
>Paul Lavely <lavelyp@uclink4.berkeley.edu>


Dave Derenzo, RSO (dave@uic.edu)
UIC Radiation Safety Section, M/C 932
Phones: Voice (312) 996-1177  Fax: (312) 996-8776

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