Argonne radioisotopes (Nuclear chemistry)

Argonne Radioisotopes Have Potential for Medical Diagnosis and Treatment

Nuclear chemistry is the branch of chemistry dealing with many different isotopic forms of elements along with studying fission and fusion and their complex processes. Nuclear chemistry could also be studied as the effects of ionizing radiation on materials, humans and organisms, and the environment around us. In this discovery, nuclear chemistry is utilized by nuclear chemists and doctors. Nuclear chemistry in medicine is important because it is crucial to diagnostics and helps provides radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person's specific organs, or to treat them. Diagnostic procedures using radioisotopes are now routine. Isotopes are atoms of an element that are chemically identical but vary in neutron number and mass and they are essential to nuclear medicine. They emit radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person's specific organs, or to treat them. Diagnostic procedures using radioisotopes are now routine in a majority of hospitals all over the world. Although, a different kind of isotope known as radioisotopes emit radiation that can damage diseased tissue and can be traced in certain environments, making them useful for medical imaging and cancer therapy.

The radioisotope of of Mo-99 (produced by the fission of uranium targets in research reactors,) has a 66-hour half-life which makes it a challenge to produce and transport around the world before it spontaneously decays into Tc-99m. Because of the extremely short half life, several of the world’s key nuclear reactors producing Mo-99 have experienced unplanned shutdowns that have disrupted the Mo-99 radioisotope supply. Since there is a possibility of unstable supply of the radioisotope, (which would place negative affect on the medical field and put a halt to new diagnosis and uses for medical technology), there have been proposed ideas and actions to create an alternative to the isotope. Argonne is collaborating with two U.S. companies, SHINE Medical Technologies and NorthStar Medical Technologies, LLC, to establish a scalable, safe and reliable way to produce and recover Mo-99 that meets the required pharmaceutical standards for use of Tc-99m as a radiopharmaceutical.

Works Cited:
http://www.chemistry2011.org/news/InorganicChemistry/NuclearChemistry/Radiochemistry/ArgonneRadioisotopesHavePotentialForMedicalDiagnosisAndTreatment\