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Topic: Medical isotopes  (Read 6577 times)

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Offline vmelkon

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Medical isotopes
« on: August 15, 2009, 11:09:17 AM »
I have been interested in Chalk River and all the talk about shutting it down and the the this is the place that produces the worlds largest quantities.
But there are nuclear reactors everywhere in the world and anyone can produce and purify and sell these things, no?

http://www.aecl.ca/Science/CRL/NRU/Isotopes.htm

Offline gippgig

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Re: Medical isotopes
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2009, 10:07:12 PM »
Many radioisotopes are produced by irradiating a special target rather than being separated from spent fuel. Commercial power reactors can't do this (they aren't designed for it). Most research reactors could produce them, but not in the large quantities needed.

Offline vmelkon

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Re: Medical isotopes
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2009, 08:54:45 AM »
I see.

Offline gippgig

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Re: Medical isotopes
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2009, 04:38:31 AM »
An article on this subject is the cover story in the Sept. 26 issue of Science News.

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