The Global Impact of the Mo-99 Shortage

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The Global Impact of the Mo-99 Shortage

Journal Title: Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research (BJSTR) - Year 2018, Vol 4, Issue 5

Abstract

In 2009, U.S. Congress mandated the study of medical isotope production without highly enriched uranium (HEU)-[7,8]. The study mandate included the medical isotopes molybdenum 99, iodine 131, xenon 133 and other radioactive materials used to produce radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for research and development. The authoring committee of the study determined that for the purposes of addressing the statement of task force for this study, it is sufficient to focus on the production of the medical isotope molybdenum 99 (Mo-99). This is so becauseIn this mini-review, the history and discovery of molybdene, its use and production, waste problem and alternative cyclotron medical isotope production are discussed. Definite reactor closing and extensive nuclear construction works in 2018 will comprise global medical isotope supply further. Introduction Recently, various reports appeared concerning a global threatening shortage of molybdene (1-4).Medical diagnostic imaging techniques using tehcnetium-99m (99mTC) account for approximately of all nuclear medicine procedures, representing 30-40 million examinations worldwide every year. Technetium 99 is derived from molybdene-99. Disruptions in the supply chain of these medical isotopes, which have half-lives of 66 hours for molybdene-99 (99Mo) and only 6 hours for 99mTc, and thus must be produced continuously, can lead to cancellations or delays in important medical testing services. Supply reliability has been challenged over the past decade due to unexpected shutdowns and extended refurbishment periods at some of the 99Mo-producing research reactors and processing facilities. These shutdowns have at times created conditions for extended global supply shortages (e.g., 2009-2010) -(2,3). Nearly 95 percent of the world’s supply of molybdenum-99-99m is produced by irradiating targets, typically a solid plate containing uranium clad in aluminum, in seven research reactors located in Australia, Canada, Argentina, Brazil Mexico, Europe, and South-Africa. This isotope has not been produced in the U.S. since the late 1980’s. Molybdenum-99 and technecium-99 are distributed through an international supply chain on a weekly or more frequent basis. Such speedy delivery is essential because molybdenum and technetium-99m have short halve-lives and therefore cannot be stockpiled. As the out of time reactor in Canada shuts down permanently at the end of March 2018, the U.S will lose a supplier of last resort. There is a greater than 50% change that severe shortages of Mo-99 and Tc-99m after closing the NRU reactor at Chalk River, Canada [1-4]. For that reason, the University of Missouri Reserch Reactor, with its partners, Nordien and General Atomics, filed for NRC in March 2017, approval to start U.S. production of medical isotopes [5]. The start of the renovation in 2018 of the 45-year- old Petten nuclear reactor in the Netherlands, while simultaneously starting the experimental Thorium PALLAS project in Patten as an alternative uranium fuel source, will certainly comprise global medical isotope delivery further. In this mini-review the history and discovery of molybdenum, its use and production, waste problems and alternative cyclotron medical isotope production are discussed.

Authors and Affiliations

Michael AB Naafs

Keywords

Biomedical Research Biomedres Open access publishers Peer reviewed journals Special issues Biomedres â€“ ebook publishers Biomedres â€“ video publishers Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research International academic journals Open access medical and clinical research publication The Complex world of Bio-Medical Sciences Health Sciences and Bio informatics Physical Activity and Computational Biology Life Sciences in relation with Technical Advancement Special issue publishers Effective Publishers Trendy online Publishers Popular online Publishers Biomedical Research papers publishers Biomedical sciences and Technical papers repository Online Publishers

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EP ID EP591590
DOI 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.04.001114
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