Medical isotope production, research reactors and their contribution to the global xenon background

Abstract

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans the testing of nuclear explosive devices underground, in the atmosphere and underwater. Two main technologies, radionuclide and seismo-acoustic monitoring, are deployed in the International Monitoring System used for the verification of the CTBT. Medical isotope production from fission-based processes is the dominant contributor to a worldwide background of radioxenon. This background can make the discrimination of nuclear tests from legitimate nuclear activities very challenging. Even if emissions from medical isotope producers experienced a large reduction, there remain other important sources of radioxenon that contribute to the global background such as research reactors and nuclear power plants. Until recently, the largest producer of medical isotopes was located in Canada, at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) facility. The characterization of CNL emissions and its research reactor can provide valuable information for effective verification of the CTBT.