From the June 2022 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Water leak in nuclear reactor expected to cause medical isotope shortage
A water leak in the high flux reactor (HFR) at Petten in the Netherlands led to an “unplanned” outage in January that was poised to impact the near-term supply of isotopes used in several medical imaging exams worldwide.
The leak was found this week in the reactor beam tube cooling system. The cause of the leak is unknown, but the reactor will remain in standby status until a full investigation into the leak is carried out. The Nuclear Medicine Europe Emergency Response Team is planning additional inspections to determine how to best resume production, reported NEI Magazine.
Ad Statistics
Times Displayed: 46648
Times Visited: 1311 Ampronix, a Top Master Distributor for Sony Medical, provides Sales, Service & Exchanges for Sony Surgical Displays, Printers, & More. Rely on Us for Expert Support Tailored to Your Needs. Email info@ampronix.com or Call 949-273-8000 for Premier Pricing.
While the leak does not pose a risk to workers or the public, it is expected to impact supply and distribution of medical isotopes. This specifically applies to molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), which is used to produce technetium-99m, a widely-used radioisotope in nuclear cardiology; and lutetium-177 (Lu-177), which is often used for therapeutic applications, according to Nuclear Medicine Europe.
“Targets were scheduled to be irradiated in the HFR reactor for both Mo-99 and Lu-177 production and the delayed restart will impact the supply of these radioisotopes in the coming week(s),” said the association in a statement.
One of the few reactors in the world that produces medical isotopes, healthcare providers rely on the HFR to produce raw materials that are used for 30,000 patients each day. It also is a place for research on safe and new nuclear energy.
Having been shut down for a few days for refueling, the reactor was expected to resume operations on January 20. But an inspection conducted by nuclear service provider Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) revealed the leak and pushed back the restart date. "During the inspection, we saw that there was a leak in the ceiling of the basement. It was found to be a leak in the cooling system. We then cut off the water supply. The leak was over, but the problem was, of course, not solved,” said NRG spokesperson Cora Blankendaal.
Back to HCB News
