"High specific activity" radiotracers for metallo-toxicological studies: cyclotron and nuclear reactor production, radiochemical separation and "quality control": platinum, iridium, gold, copper and gallium.
Very High Specific Activity RadioNuclides, HSARN, are a powerful tool to label a wide variety of chemical elements and compounds present in the biosphere in ultra-trace amounts. Medium and high Z radionuclides, can be produced by irradiation in light-ions accelerator and sometimes nuclear reactor. If the nuclear reaction product has atomic number different from irradiated target, it is possible separating the radioactive nuclide from irradiated target, without addition of isotopic carrier. These kinds of radionuclides are named No Carrier Added, NCA, and their specific activity is very high and can reach values close to the theoretical Carrier Free one. The true specific activity must be determined by use of very sensitive radioanalytical techniques. If a low isotopic dilution factor is obtained, these radiotracers are used to label inorganic species and complexes of elements, which are presently introduced into the echo-systems by human activities. New production methods for NCA Pt, Ir, Au, Cu and Ga radiotracers are presented, with some details on radiochemistry and quality controls.
Bonardi
Mauro
M
Radiochemistry Laboratory, LASA, Università degli Studi di Milano, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, INFN, Via F.lli Cervi 201, I-20090 Segrate, Milano, Italy. Mauro.Bonardi@MI.INFN.IT
Groppi
Flavia
F
Birattari
Claudio
C
Arginelli
Dolores
D
D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D003301:Copper Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D017357:Cyclotrons; D005708:Gallium / Q000737:chemistry; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006050:Gold Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D007495:Iridium / Q000737:chemistry; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
D003301:Copper Radioisotopes; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006050:Gold Radioisotopes; D007496:Iridium Radioisotopes; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D011868:Radioisotopes; D014131:Trace Elements; D007495:Iridium; D010984:Platinum; D006046:Gold; D003300:Copper; D005708:Gallium