Analysis of contaminating radionuclides in 123I production at IEN

Abstract

This report presents a quantitative assessment of the radionuclide contaminants of the ¹²³I produced by the Institute of Nuclear Engineering (IEN) in its radiopharmaceutical division – DIRA.

The cyclotron model CV-28 was assembled and installed at IEN in 1974, being at the time the first compact variable energy cyclotron installed in Brazil. Its purpose is to be use in basic research in atomic and nuclear physics, and in the production of radioisotopes for use in nuclear medicine, biology, agriculture and industry, as well as in activation analysis and irradiation damage studies in materials used in reactors. The CV-28 is capable of accelerating four types of particles (p, d, ³He⁺⁺ and α), which are produced from gases.