Future of low specific activity molybdenum-99/technetium-99m generator.
In last few years, the shortage of molybdenum-99 (99Mo) was felt in the developed and developing countries hospitals, where diagnostic nuclear medicine is practiced. To overcome the shortage of 99Mo various routes of its production by accelerators and reactors generating low and high specific activity products have been planned. High specific activity 99Mo obtained by fission of uranium-235 (235U) has completely dominated in the manufacturing of technetium-99m (99mTc) generators in last 3-4 decades, but due to proliferation and dirty bomb, issues non fission routes of 99Mo production are emphasized. Future of low specific activity 99Mo is discussed.
Isotope Production Division, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, P.O. Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan. amushtaq1@hotmail.com
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Mushtaq
D008982:Molybdenum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011876:Radionuclide Generators; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D013667:Technetium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000600:supply & distribution
D011868:Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013667:Technetium; D008982:Molybdenum