Isotopes of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) are commercially produced to detect illnesses, including heart disease and cancer through nuclear medicine scans. All of the Mo-99 present in the US is imported from a few nuclear reactors in Europe, Canada, Russia and South Africa. However, there have recently been shutdowns of these reactors for safety and maintenance reasons, causing a severe shortage of medical isotopes. South Africa was able to convert highly enriched uranium (HEU) to LEU, while maintaining its Mo-99, showing it is possible to accomplish both simultaneously. According to Alan Kuperman from the University of Texas, this is something that has been deemed impossible by commercial producers for the past 20 years. It is agreed that the US needs to start producing its own medical isotopes to protect against supply interruptions. In response to this, NNSA’s goal is to ensure through its cooperative agreements that MO-99 is produced domestically without the use of HEU by the end of 2013.
See http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/December/20121003.asp
Posted by Rebecca Amster
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