Radiochemistry Laboratory Research Articles

Radiosynthesis, Quality Control, and Small Animal Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of 68Ga-labelled Nano Molecules.

Small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging techniques are crucial in preclinical cancer research, necessitating meticulous attention to radiotracer synthesis, quality assurance, and in vivo injection protocols. This study presents a comprehensive workflow tailored to enhance the robustness and reproducibility of small animal PET experiments. The synthesis process in the radiochemistry laboratory using 68Ga is detailed, highlighting stringent quality control and assurance protocols for each radiotracer production. Parameters such as concentration, molar activity, pH, and purity are rigorously monitored, aligning with standards applicable to human studies. This methodology introduces streamlined syringe preparation and a custom-designed 30G cannula for precise intravenous injections into mice. Monitoring of animal health during scanning, including temperature and heart rate, ensures their well-being throughout the procedure. Dosages for PET and SPECT scans are predetermined to balance data acquisition with minimizing radiation exposure to animals and researchers. Similarly, CT scans employ pre-programmed settings to limit radiation exposure, especially pertinent in long-term studies assessing treatment effects. By optimizing these steps, the workflow aims to standardize procedures, reduce variability, and enhance the quality of small animal PET/SPECT/CT imaging. This resource provides valuable insights for researchers seeking to improve the accuracy and reliability of preclinical investigations in molecular imaging, ultimately advancing the field.

Total Radiological Dose and Safety Assessment of Workers in Radioactive Liquid Waste Storage Location in Al Tuwaitha Site

This study aims to determine the total effective dose (external and internal) in the radioactive liquid Waste Hall (WH) in the Radiochemistry Laboratories building (RCL) in Al- Tuwaitha site in order to estimate the radiation risk for workers in this place. The external effective dose was calculated by an indirect method using ThermoLuminescent Dosimeters (LiF: Mg, Ti (TLD-100)) by placing them in the waste hall for one month. The internal effective dose was estimated by collecting eight air samples (environmental samples) from different locations in WH using an air sampler pump (Sniffer) to collect air samples loaded with particles or dust which are deposited on cellulose filter papers (φ 125mm). This was done for two flow rates the lowest and the highest values of the air sampler pump of 5CFM and 20CFM, respectively.The filter papers were chemically treated using the digestion method. The radionuclides in these samples were measured using a gamma spectrometry system equipped with a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe), and the radioactivity concentration was measured using a gross alpha beta gamma system. The results showed 137Cs of low concentration was deposited on the filter paper. The total annual effective dose rate (external and internal) results showed that the highest in WH was (6358.97μSv/year) for the low probability scenario and (1589.74 μSv/year) for the realistic scenario.

Mandatory Requirements for Planning and Commissioning of Medical Cyclotron Facility

Over the last 15 years, there has been substantial growth in the installation of medical cyclotrons. This is mainly due to the increased demand for the production of positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals. In every country, there is a regulatory body that regulates the uses of medical cyclotron intending to protect occupational workers, the public, and the environment. It regulates the entire stages of such facilities, which mainly controls regulatory activities such as construction, commissioning, operation, and decommissioning. This article primarily highlights the key practices for planning and installation of a medical cyclotron facility (MCF). It also covers the particular aspects that should be considered in the early stages of project planning and provides information for best practices and challenges. If these aspects are properly addressed, then it ensures the safe operation of the MCF. The texts also elaborate on the necessary requirements for effective planning of the MCF, such as layout and space considerations, workload plan and maximum research capacity of the institute and equipment, shielding requirements, water cooling circuit, storage of radioactive components, management of radioactive waste from medical cyclotron and radiochemistry laboratory, construction and commissioning project management, exhaust system and filtration options, plans for staffing and training, and combination of equipment safety systems and building safety systems.

Design and Construction of a Radiochemistry Laboratory and cGMP-Compliant Radiopharmacy Facility.

The establishment of a compliant radiopharmacy facility within a university setting is crucial for supporting fundamental and preclinical studies, as well as for the production of high-quality radiopharmaceuticals for clinical testing in human protocols as part of Investigational New Drug (IND) applications that are reviewed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This manuscript details the design and construction of a 550 ft2 facility, which included a radiopharmacy and a radiochemistry laboratory, to support radiopharmaceutical development research and facilitate translational research projects. The facility was designed to meet FDA guidelines for the production of aseptic radiopharmaceuticals in accordance with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP). A modular hard-panel cleanroom was constructed to meet manufacturing classifications set by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), complete with a gowning room and an anteroom. Two lead-shielded hot cells and two dual-mini hot cells, connected via underground trenches containing shielded conduits, were installed to optimize radioactive material transfer while minimizing personnel radiation exposure. Concrete blocks and lead bricks provided sufficient and cost-effective radiation shielding for the trenches. Air quality was controlled using pre-filters and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to meet cleanroom ISO7 (Class 10,000) standards. A laminar-flow biosafety cabinet was installed in the cleanroom for preparation of sterile dose vials. Noteworthy was a laminar-flow insert in the hot cell that provided a shielded laminar-flow sterile environment meeting ISO5 (class 100) standards. The design included the constant control and monitoring of differential air pressures across the cleanroom, anteroom, gowning room, and controlled research space, as well as maintenance of temperature and humidity. The facility was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for quality control and release testing of radiopharmaceuticals. Administrative controls and standard operating procedures (SOPs) were established to ensure compliance with manufacturing standards and regulatory requirements. Overall, the design and construction of this radiopharmacy facility exemplified a commitment to advancing fundamental, translational, and clinical applications of radiopharmaceutical research within an academic environment.

Experience in the production of 99Mo from low enriched uranium at the VVR-ts research nuclear facility

The key industrial method for producing 99Mo is production of the radionuclide as one of the 235U fission fragments. 235U is irradiated with neutrons in a nuclear reactor (both heterogeneous and homogeneous nuclear reactors can be used) and then processed in radiochemical laboratories, where 99Mo is chemically extracted from fission products. Both highly enriched uranium (HEU) and low enriched uranium (LEU) can be used to produce 99Mo by the fragmentation method. To date, almost all world producers, with the exception of Russia, are either in the final stages of transferring production from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium, or are already producing 99Mo using LEU. This is due to the problems of non-proliferation of nuclear materials and the prevention of the likelihood of terrorist threats. A number of experimental studies have been carried out on the basis of the VVR-ts research reactor. Experimental studies included the study of the effect of LEU targets on the reactivity reserve of the VVR-ts reactor, irradiation of these targets in experimental channels and separation of 99Mo from them. The paper presents the results of producing and separating 99Mo from targets with LEU material. It is shown that it is necessary to improve the processing technology to increase the production of fragmented 99Mo from LEU.

A radiochemistry laboratory exercise: determination of uranium in tap water by solvent extraction and liquid scintillation counting

Environmental radiochemistry is a key pillar of the education of nuclear engineering students and young professionals. Teaching the fundamentals of this multidisciplinary field is best performed also through well-designed hands-on experiments. A simple and fast radiochemical procedure has been developed to determine uranium in tap water by liquid scintillation counting. The proposed method provides reliable and repeatable results, with accuracy and precision within 5%. It can be proficiently executed by undergraduate students, who have appreciated the engagement and got acquainted with standard analysis protocols, from sample collection and manipulation to radiometric measure and data analysis.

Fully automated production of [11C]PiB for clinical use on Trasis-AllinOne synthesizer module

Pittsburgh compound B ([11C]PiB) was the first broadly applied radiotracer with specificity for amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide aggregates in the brain and has since been established as the gold standard for positron emission tomography (PET) employed for clinical in vivo imaging of Aβ plaques, used for imaging applications of Alzheimer's disease (AD), related dementia, and other tauopathies. The use of [11C]PiB for routine PET studies is dependent on the production capabilities of each radiochemistry laboratory, subsequently a continuous effort is made to develop suitable and sustainable methods on a variety of auto synthesis platforms.Here we report a fully automated, multi-step radio synthesis, purification, and reformulation of [11C]PiB for PET imaging using the Trasis AllinOne synthesis unit, a commonly used commercial radiochemistry module. We performed three validation runs to evaluate the reproducibility and to verify that the acceptable criteria were met for the release of clinical-grade [11C]PiB using a Trasis AllinOne auto radiosynthesis unit. Solid phase supported radiolabeling was performed through the capture of precursor (6-OH-BTA-0) on a C18 solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge and subsequent flushing of gaseous [11C]Methyl triflate(MeOTf) through the Sep-Pak for carbon-11 (11C) N-methylation. Starting with 92.5 GBq [11C]CO2, [11C]PiB synthesis was completed in approximately 25 min after cyclotron end of bombardment with an injectable dose >7.0 GBq at end of the synthesis. The radiopharmaceutical product met all quality control criteria and specifications for use in human studies.

Laboratory-based X-ray spectrometer for actinide science.

X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies nowadays are advanced characterization methods for fundamental and applied actinide research. One of the advantages of these methods is to reveal slight changes in the structural and electronic properties of radionuclides. The experiments are generally carried out at synchrotrons. However, considerable progress has been made to construct laboratory-based X-ray spectrometers for X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies. Laboratory spectrometers are reliable, effective and accessible alternatives to synchrotrons, especially for actinide research, which allow dispensing with high costs of the radioactive sample transport and synchrotron time. Moreover, data from laboratory spectrometers, obtained within a reasonable time, are comparable with synchrotron results. Thereby, laboratory spectrometers can complement synchrotrons or can be used for preliminary experiments to find perspective samples for synchrotron experiments with better resolution. Here, the construction and implementation of an X-ray spectrometer (LomonosovXAS) in Johann-geometry at a radiochemistry laboratory is reported. Examples are given of the application of LomonosovXAS to actinide systems relevant to the chemistry of f-elements, the physical chemistry of nuclear power engineering and the long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

Radiostrontium determination by combination of automated Sr isolation and “on-column” Cherenkov detection using chromatographic model

A novel analytical solution of non-linear chromatography in case of parabolic isotherm for frontal analysis was obtained by combination of Cole-Hopf and Laplace transform. It was used for simulation of strontium capturing on chromatographic column with aim to improve quantitative determination of low-level 90Sr activities. From the experimentally determined breakthrough curves, the retention factor and the number of theoretical plates were calculated using the Glueckauf and Wenzel relations and by fitting the breakthrough curves for the linear isotherm using MatLab. These were used to simulate the breakthrough curves using a parabolic isotherm solution where the non-linear term of the isotherm was taken as a small negative deviation of the retention factor. On the base of theoretical prediction and experimental data, procedure for automated capturing of strontium on chromatographic column with specific dimension and off line „on-column“ Cherenkov detection on commercial ultra low-level liquid scintillation counter was developed. It was shown that analytical solution for parabolic isotherm in comparison with solution for linear isotherm gives better prediction of mass of captured Sr on column filled with small amount of Sr resin and SuperLig®620 in case of elevated Sr concentration, even when non-linear effect is not obvious. The solution also makes it possible to predict the mass of resin required for strontium isolation at 100% yield under given conditions. Considering the limited dimensions of the column, and consequently small mass of the resin in them, it resulted in the low efficiency of the columns, which, however, did not affect the yield in real conditions of isolation. The results have shown that the yields achieved after isolation on SuperLig®620 from real samples are 100%. In addition, it is shown that captured 90Sr can be detected through 90Y ingrowth, on column filled with strontium specific resin, with Cherenkov detection efficiency of at least 50%. The efficiency may be enhanced to 60%, depending on parameters which can affect detection efficiency change (type of column, resin type, surrounding solution, etc.). The developed procedures enable quantitative determination of 90Sr in natural water samples with MDAC below 12 mBq l−1 and solid (soil and vegetation) samples with MDAC below 6 Bq kg−1 within 2–3 days. The proposed solution may easily be implemented in radiochemical laboratories where this type of analysis is routinely done within environmental monitoring or other purposes.

РАДИАЦИОННЫЕ ИСТОЧНИКИ И ДОЗЫ ОБЛУЧЕНИЯ ПЕРСОНАЛА И ПАЦИЕНТОВ ПЭТ-ЦЕНТРА

Introduction 1. Emissions in cyclotron facility and their influence on staff 2. Radiation sources of radiochemical laboratory and radiation exposure of radiochemists 3. Ionizing radiation sources in PET diagnostics division and doses of medical staff 4. Doses of PET center patients Conclusion

Ionizing Radiation in PET Center and Level of Their Exposure on Personnel and Patients

CONTENTS
 Introduction
 1. Dose rate of gamma and neutron radiation in the cyclotron facility
 2. Ionizing radiation in radiochemical laboratory and personnel doses
 3. Radiation sources in PET department and their contribution in personnel radiation exposure
 4. Doses of patients under performance of PET/CT study
 Summary

Design and Manufacture of a Test Device for Radiosynthesizer Vacuum Pumps

Vacuum pump wear is the most prevalent failure mode of the IBA Synthera® automated radiochemistry system. Rebuilding or replacing the pump causes equipment downtime and increases the radiation exposure of the service personnel. We built a dedicated test device to assess new or rebuilt pumps prior to installation, thus reducing downtime and radiation exposure during repairs. The Testbed incorporates a microprocessor that actuates the pump, valves, and pressure sensor; communicates with the user through lights, buttons, and an alphanumeric screen; and outputs test results to a laptop. The Testbed increases productivity and safety in the radiochemistry laboratory.

Measurement of Radioactive Concentrations and Determination of Isotopes Using Portable Devices for Radiochemistry Laboratories Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site in Iraq

The measurements of radioactive concentrations using portable radiological devices for radiochemistry laboratories at the Al-Tuwaitha nuclear site (section C) were studied, section C consists of three laboratories, C1, C2, and C3 were used, Redeye device to measure the radioactive concentrations of alpha and beta emitters, and the Interceptor™ Specifications device to detect radioisotopes. The results showed the presence of radioactive contamination in Unit C distributed over most of its parts. In the C1 laboratory, the highest radioactive contamination was recorded in HCL2 with a concentration of 113.65Bq/cm2. In addition, the C2 laboratory recorded the highest radioactive concentration in FH1 with a concentration of 830.14Bq/cm2 for Beta particle emitters, while the C3 laboratory recorded the highest pollution in FH contamination with a radioactive concentration of 75.26 Bq/cm2. The results show that location C shows the isotopes detected in the laboratory components, such as Cesium 137Cs, Neptunium 237Np, and Americium 241Am. The results showed the presence of contamination on the laboratory floor in the fourth part, contaminated with Americium 241Am and Lutetium 167Lu isotopes. While location B did not record radioactive contamination in most of its parts except for room B8 which recorded radioactive concentrations of about 1.33 Bq/cm2. While location A, that is, no radioactive contamination was recorded, and the readings were within the permissible limits

Measurement of Radiation Background and Estimation of the Annual Effective Dose for Workers in the Radiochemistry Laboratories at the Al-Tuwaitha Site

This study was achieved to calculate the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) in units of (mSv.y-1), and the average radiation dose rate (ADR) in units of (μSv.h-1) which were measured by portable devices. The study was carried out on the workers of the destroyed radiochemistry laboratory located at Al-Twuitha nuclear site (south of Baghdad). Radiation background was determined for comparison with the radioactive dose of soil samples measured with HPGe detector and portable devices type LUDLUM. The radioactivity levels of the area around the radiochemistry laboratory building were within the limits of radiation background. The result showed a significant increase of the annual effective dose of C1 laboratory workers, as the annual effective dose of the lysate cell 1 (AHC1)in the lab was about 18.995 mSv/y, with an occupancy factor of 0.042, for an average working hours of one hour per day. An annual effective dose of 24.073 mSv/y was also recorded in hot cell 2 (HCL2), an increase of more than 4 mSv/y, for an occupancy factor of 0.083, equivalent to 2 hours of work per day. The glove boxes 11 (GB11) of Laboratory C2 recorded an annual effective dose of 19,720 mSv/y for an occupancy factor of 0.125, equivalent to 3 working hours per day. The C3 Laboratory and the rest of the laboratories and the health physics rooms recorded an annual effective dose within the workers’ allowable limits of 20 mSv/y.

AMS measurements of 14C, 36Cl, and 239/240Pu samples taken in a ‘small facility’

The release of nuclear facilities from regulatory control is commonly addressed by demonstrating that contaminations are below ‘clearance values’. AMS is commonly too laborious for a large number of samples, especially if nuclide vectors have been established, but it might be of interest for the release of a so-called ‘small facility’. For this case study, a radiochemistry laboratory in Cologne, Germany was chosen. It was known that 14C, 36Cl as well as 240Pu had been handled openly in this lab. There were no apparent contaminations, i.e., no alpha/beta contaminations that could be detected using a hand-held radiation monitor. Elevated values of 14C were measured in three, increased values of 36Cl in all and 239Pu in only one of the examined samples. All measured activities are well below the release values, but it can be proven that the elements 14C, 36Cl, 239Pu were handled openly in the ‘small facility’.

RoboLab: providing remote access to a physical radiochemistry laboratory for teaching and training

RoboLab enables students to perform real radiochemistry experiments without being physically present in a laboratory. Remotely controlled experiments are accessed through a web interface to a physical laboratory. The laboratory equipment is interfaced to a computer that both controls the equipment and provides feedback to the web user. A generic software template, using a cloud service, was developed to facilitate easy communication between the web browser and the control system. The sixth and most recent RoboLab, aiming at the production and measurement of 234mPa (T1/2 = 1.16 min), has been successfully developed and implemented using this template.

Assessment of Radiological Hazards in Soil, Water and Plants Around Coal Power Plant

The existence of a Coal - Fired Power Plant (CFPP) is suspected to affect the environment quality, especially the increment of natural radionuclides content which is found in coal as raw material. Therefore, systematic analysis of natural radionuclides ( 210 Pb, 234 Th, 238 U, 228 RA, 40 K, 226 RA and 232 Th) in water, soil , and plant were conducted to establish a data base o f environmental contamination in the area around a CFPP. This research was conducted in the area around Adipala Cilacap CFPP which operates with two towers. Samples were taken from three locations around the Adipala CFPP based on the secondary wind direction data from Indonesian Agency for Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysics in the 2018 dry season. Samples were prepared in the Radiochemistry Laboratory , Center for Accelerator Science and Technology , BATAN. The concentration of radioactivity in environmental samples were analyzed using gamma spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector for 24hours after reaching its secular equilibrium. The result of samples analyses shown that the mean value of the radionuclides specific activities ( 210 Pb, 234 Th, 238 U, 228 RA, 40 K, 226 RA and 232 Th) for water, cassava leaves, grass, and soil were 0.789 Bq/L, 14.685 Bg/kg, 15.036 Bq/Kg, and 75.083 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean of radium equivalent activity (Ra eq ) for water, cassava leaves, grass, and soil were 1.692, 30.792, 18.699 and 137.513 Bq/kg , respectively . The absorbed dose rate (ADR) for water, cassava leaves, grass, and soil were 0.775, 14.332, 8.627, and 64.135 nGy/h , respectively , whilst the annual effective dose rate (AEDR) were 0.004, 0.070, 0.042, and 0.315 mSv/y. The mean of external and internal hazard indices (H ex and H in ) for water, cassava leaves, grass, and soil were 0.005 and 0.006, 0.083 and 0.129, 0.050 and 0.078, and 0.371 and 0.554 , respectively , while the mean of e xcess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) wre 0.014×10 -6 , 0.246×10 -6 , 0.148×10 -6 , and 1.101×10 -6 . According to the calculation of radiation hazard index in this research, it was understood that all parameters of all samples were within acceptable limits by the world average value reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) .

The SINQ gas-jet facility as a source for radionuclides from neutron-induced fission of 235U

The Swiss Spallation Neutron Source SINQ of the Paul Scherrer Institute provides neutrons via proton-induced spallation reactions in a lead target. Produced neutrons are thermalized and impinge on 235U-targets, enclosed in a three-part chamber assembly, which is located in the inner wall of the SINQ shielding. The thermal-neutron-induced fission products can be readily transported from this chamber assembly to a radiochemical laboratory using the gas-jet technique either with a pure carrier gas or with an aerosol-particle-loaded carrier gas. In the past, mainly radioisotopes of the elements Se, Br, Rb, and Kr were retrieved and used for gas-phase chemistry experiments. Here, we present first experiments after the commissioning of the SINQ gas-jet facility as a source of recoverable, non-volatile and volatile, carrier-free fission products for general radiochemical studies and other applications.

Production of sealed rod sources made from epoxy resin for the Saint-Petersburg brick phantom for the calibration of whole-body counters

Rod sources are a common tool for the calibration of whole-body counters in combination with the Saint-Petersburg brick phantom. Here, a method for the production of such sources in ordinary radiochemical laboratories is presented. The rod sources consist of a tubular capsule of rigid polyvinyl chloride with a radioactive filling of epoxy resin. The method allows the production of rod sources at material costs of about 1 € per rod source and of ten rod sources by one person per day. Quality-assurance measurements were performed regarding the spatial distribution of the activity within the rod sources and the distribution of the activity throughout a set of sources. The relative double standard deviation of the activities of five different segments of single rod sources was 7.1%. The relative double standard deviation within a set of 90 rod sources was 2.8% after those 11% of sources with the greatest deviation from the arithmetic mean were discarded. Tests according to ISO 2919 to certify the rod sources as sealed sources of Class 2 of this standard were successfully conducted. The bending test proved to be the most critical test for the rod sources; the sources were broken by a mass of 12–14 kg, which is only slightly more than the stipulated mass of 10.2 kg. The presented method allows for a cost- and labour-effective production of sealed radioactive rod sources and thus facilitates the application of the Saint-Petersburg brick phantom for calibrations and interlaboratory comparisons of whole-body counters.

Soil sampling plan design of key facilities for denuclearization based on data quality objective process

The possibility of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has been continuously debated, and the initiative participation of the Republic of Korea has necessitated preemptive measures against neighboring countries. In this study, we present a proposal for formulating a site survey plan when the amount of site information provided is insufficient and the accuracy of the information is not guaranteed. Considering a case wherein “a soil sample analysis is used to determine the presence or absence of nuclear activity” in a radiochemical laboratory, which is a typical key facility for denuclearization, the optimal soil sample collection plan is designed based on international guidelines and public information. In the event of denuclearization, a scenario that is not based on the expertise of the sample collector is set, and the data quality objective (DQO) process is applied to ensure reality. Consequently, the primary sample collection points can be derived in consideration of accessibility, and the sample collection scale can be adjusted according to the cost. By applying the DQO process to ensure sample representativeness and reality, reliable and resource-efficient soil sample collection can be achieved in radiochemical laboratories and other denuclearization facilities.