Reduce, reuse and recycle: a green solution to Canada's medical isotope shortage

Area of Science:

• Nuclear medicine
• Medical isotope production
• Accelerator physics

Background:

• Global shortage of medical isotopes, particularly technetium-99m (Tc-99m), occurred in 2009 due to research reactor maintenance issues.
• Traditional medical isotope production relies on expensive, aging nuclear reactors that generate significant long-lived nuclear waste.
• The National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, a key supplier, is scheduled to cease operations, necessitating alternative production methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the National Research Council's (NRC) involvement in developing a non-reactor based method for producing medical isotopes.
• To explore the use of electron linear accelerators (LINAC) for producing molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the parent isotope of Tc-99m.
• To demonstrate the feasibility and equivalence of LINAC-produced Tc-99m compared to reactor-produced isotopes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing electron linear accelerators (LINAC) for the production of Mo-99.
• Implementing chemical processing and material recycling techniques for isotope purification and sustainability.
• Conducting preliminary animal studies to validate the efficacy and safety of LINAC-derived Tc-99m.

Main Results:

• Successful development of a process for producing Mo-99 using LINAC technology.
• Demonstrated equivalence of LINAC-produced Tc-99m with existing supplies through animal studies.
• Significant reduction in nuclear waste, approaching zero, and material recycling achieved.

Conclusions:

• The LINAC-based approach presents a viable, green alternative for Canada's medical isotope supply.
• This method addresses the limitations of traditional reactor-based production, including cost and waste generation.
• The NRC's comprehensive involvement ensured a robust pathway towards a sustainable medical isotope future.