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Plutonium in [^99mTc] Pertechnetate for Clinical Use: Concise Communication

Malmö General Hospital, S-214 01 Malmö, Sweden

Correspondence: For reprints contact: Sören Mattsson, Dept. of Radiation Physics, Malmö General Hospital, S-214 01 Malmö, Sweden.

ABSTRACT

Pertechnetate from 31 different Tc-99m generators was analyzed to determine if -emitting radionuclides were present. Significant amounts of Pu(239 + 240) were found in the pertechnetate eluded from neutron-activated molybdenum distributed by one manufacturer. The Pu(239 + 240)/Tc-99m activity ratio in the first eluate from these generators varied between 1.3 · 10^–12 and l.4 · 10^–11. The Pu(239 + 240) contamination is believed to originate from uranium impurities in the molybdenum batch. The build-up of Am-241, the daughter decay product of Pu-241, has also been demonstrated. The estimated Pu-241/Pu(239 + 240) activity ratio at the reference time was 8:1.

It is strongly recommended that upper limits for the plutonium content of eluates from nonfission-produced molybdenum should be included in the various pharmacopoeias and that restrictions be placed on the uranium content of molybdenum used for the production of Mo-99 by neutron activation.