Fostering New Sources of Mo-99 for International Nuclear Medicine Needs IAEA CRP on Mo-99 Production Using LEU or Neutron Activation Ira N. Goldman, Natesan Ramamoorthy, Pablo Adelfang International Atomic Energy Agency 2008 RERTR International Meeting October 5 - 9, 2008 Washington, DC

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Outline Background and History Participants Recent Activities and Progress Training/Technical Support and Procurements Near-Term Plans Conclusion

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Background 99m Tc reigns as the most used diagnostic tracer; % of all imaging  >25 million studies/year Weekly 99 Mo requirements: ~ GBq (12000Ci, ‘6- day curies’) at reference time (~50% for USA). Well over 95% of 99 Mo is produced using HEU targets (~50 kg) Efforts to shift production of medical isotopes away from use of HEU (through RERTR, DOE/USA) Some Member States (MS) of IAEA are seeking to become small scale, indigenous producers of 99 Mo Need to encourage and provide access to LEU technology or neutron activation (NA) methods as HEU is phased out from commercial use

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Objectives Assist member states with adoption of LEU Cintichem (foil targets) or neutron activation (gel moly) technology. Further demonstrate efficacy of LEU production of 99 Mo Advance intnl coopn for non-proliferation and nuclear security objectives, promote sustainable development. Foster capacity building for local/regional self- sufficiency to meet 99 Mo needs Not Aimed: Engaging the large-scale industrial producers (but some are participating/contributing)

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP History November Project Design Consultancy, Vienna February CRP approved May Potential Mo-99 Producer’s Workshop, Buenos Aires, Argentina December 2005 – 1 st RCM, Vienna, Austria March 2006 – Foil Targets Workshop, Serpong, Indonesia November Workshop on Operational Aspects of Mo- 99 Production, Vienna, Austria April 2007 – 2 nd RCM, Bucharest and Pitesti, Romania – Various training activities in Argentina, Chile, India, and Indonesia; equipment procurement, process installation, testing Oct 13-16, 2008: 3 rd RCM, MURR, Columbia, Mo, USA

RERTR 2008 Mo-99 CRP Participants Contract Holders: -Chile/CCHEN - LEU foil targets fission moly -Egypt/EAEA – fission moly and gel generators -Kazakhstan/INP - gel moly portable generators -Libya/DRETC - LEU foil targets fission moly -Pakistan/PINSTECH - LEU foil plate targets fission moly -Romania/IFIN-HH Magurele - gel moly -Romania/INR Pitesti - LEU foil targets fission moly

RERTR 2008 Mo-99 CRP Participants Agreement Holders: -Argentina/CNEA -India/BARC-BRIT -Indonesia/BATAN -Korea/KAERI -Poland/POLATOM -US/ANL -US/MURR

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Recent Progress/Activities KAERI LEU foils sent to Poland, U.S. (ANL and MURR), October 2007 Further calculation and analytical work (Chile, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan) Annular foil target assembly and testing (Chile, Romania2) R&D LEU foil plate target and LEU electro-deposition (Pakistan) Hot cell modifications and preparations (Chile – new manipulators; Libya, Romania2, MURR) Development of processing procedures, cold run (Chile, MURR, Romania2) Development of QA procedures (Chile, MURR, Romania2) Substantial intra-participant training and HR development (next slide) Gel moly development and implementation (Kazakhstan, Romania1)

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Fostering Provision of Materials, Information Exchange Aluminium tubing shipped from ANL (03/06) KAERI supply of test foils with IAEA facilitation for transfers. LEU foils delivered to 4-5 participants (2007) Glassware procured by IAEA with DOE funding; received by late 2006/early 2007 ANSTO safety documentation distributed (early 2007) MURR assistance in performing and evaluating thermal hydraulics calculations BRIT/BARC assistance with gel generator know-how CRP website increasingly important tool with several technical reports posted

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Training/Technical Assistance and Procurements BRIT (India), February 2008, 1 Kazakhstan SV re: portable gel moly generator technology BATAN, March Chilean, 2 Libyan Fellows LEU ingot rolling process, foil target fabrication, waste treatment CNEA, June Libyan SV, QC for Mo-99 production CCHEN, August Poland SV, LEU annular target fabrication equipment design, assembly, welding (2 Libyans unable to reach Chile) Additional aluminum tubes procured by ANL for Chile and Poland Bids for Cintichem laboratory equipment and supplies for Libya; evaluation underway

RERTR 2008: IAEA Mo-99 CRP Progress Status and Perspectives Several groups in the CRP will advance to demonstrating 99 Mo production using LEU Objective findings on all related aspects: feasibility to adaptability – scope, requirements Possible role of a few groups significant: (i) MURR, USA to establish compliance of LEU moly for generator use; (ii) 4 groups already handling generator production, thus well placed to use local LEU moly 2 other groups will show the scale of applicability of gel moly system

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Future Activities 3rd RCM, October, MURR Provision of fabricated annular targets to Libya 1 Poland Fellowship to MURR (1 month, Oct-Nov. 2008) Extension of CRP for an additional two years Irradiation of LEU targets and processing of hot targets Irradiation of Mo oxide and preparation of ‘moly Mo-99 gel powder for gel column generators Compare, assess, and interpret results, provide follow-up, and suggest adaptive changes Review compliance with specifications and purity requirements Document/publish results

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Other Activities Participated in Global Initiative (GI) for Preventing Proliferation Workshop on Mo-99 Production, Sydney, December 2007 Maintain contact/input to NAS Mo-99 Study Participated in DOE Isotopes Workshop, August 2008 Respond to many inquiries regarding research reactors and Mo-99 production. Encouraging RR networking, collaboration for isotope production (and other activities) under IAEA Research Reactor Coalitions Initiative.

Sydney Workshop on the Production of 99 Mo using LEU GICNT: NNSA, DOE/USA and ANSTO; Sydney Dec 2-5, 2007; 50 participants from 14 countries IAEA invited to, (I) join Executive Committee; (ii) present a talk; (iii) chair a Session Practically all stakeholders sat together! Workshop report: key issues, challenges (technical; economic; political) and path forward Formal report to GI plenary in summer 2008

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Other influencing events Vulnerability of Mo-99 supplies: Fall 2007 Canadian event; Summer 2008 European scenario May 2008: Closure of MAPLE reactor project announced NAS Mo-99 Study complete; Report awaited Follow-up on DOE Isotopes Workshop held in August 2008 Enquiries regarding the IAEA help: research reactor availability and Mo-99 production Progress in additional production plans and identifying potential possibilities

RERTR 2008 IAEA Mo-99 CRP Conclusion Many CRP participants continue to make excellent progress. Increasing technology transfer between the contract holders. Participants are developing physical and human resource infrastructure to carry out successful trial irradiation and processing. Recent events have demonstrated the fragility of the global Mo-99 supply infrastructure. Medium term outlook for global Mo-99 supply highly uncertain due to aging isotope production reactors, lack of planned replacements. Several participants have significant facilities that could be utilized in addressing global Mo-99 requirements. Partnerships, joint ventures, or other commercial arrangements needed to further develop such potential alternative producers. IAEA prepared to provide a forum to bring together all stakeholders for an objective analysis of requirements and to consider options for path forward.

Acknowledgements DOE/NNSA – primary project funding NTI: project management finances Government of Norway – financial support ANSTO, KAERI, CERCA: in-kind support

Thank you all for your attention