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Using Radioisotopes
Some common radioisotopes used in medical, industrial and scientific applications. This information is sourced from our brochure: Radioisotopes: their role in society today (PDF 4.3 MB).
Research reactor-produced medical radioisotopes
Radioisotope | Half-life | Use |
Chromium-51 | 27.7 days | Used to label red blood cells and quantify gastro-intestinal protein loss. |
Iodine-131 | 8.02 days | Used to diagnose and treat various diseases associated with the human thyroid. |
Iridium-192 | 73.83 days | Supplied in wire form for use as an internal radiotherapy source for certain cancers, including those of the head and breast. |
Molybdenum-99 | 66 hours | Used as the ‘parent’ in a generator to produce technetium-99m, the most widely used radioisotope in nuclear medicine. |
Phosphorus-32 | 14.28 days | Used in the treatment of excess red blood cells. |
Samarium-153 | 46.7 hours | Used to reduce the pain associated with bony metastases of primary tumours. |
Technetium-99m | 6.01 hours | Used to image the brain, thyroid, lungs, liver, spleen, kidney, gall bladder, skeleton, blood pool, bone marrow, heart blood pool, salivary and lacrimal glands, and to detect infection. |
Yttrium-90 | 64 hours | Used for liver cancer therapy. |
Cyclotron-produced medical radioisotopes
Radioisotope | Halflife | Use |
Copper-64 | 12.7 hours | Used to study genetic disease affecting copper metabolism; in Positron Emission Tomography; and also has potential therapeutic uses. |
Gallium-67 | 78.25 hours | Used in imaging to detect tumours and infections. |
Iodine-123 | 13.2 hours | Used in imaging to monitor thyroid function and detect adrenal dysfunction. |
Thallium-201 | 72.9 hours | Used in imaging to detect the location of damaged heart muscle. |
Carbon-11
Nitrogen-13
Oxygen-15
Fluorine-18 | 20.3 minutes 10 minutes
122 minutes
1.83 hours
| These are used in Positron Emission Tomography to study brain physiology and pathology; for detecting the location of epileptic foci; and in dementia, and psychiatry and neuropharmacology studies. They are also used to detect heart problems and diagnose certain types of cancer. |
Naturally occurring radioisotopes used in industry and science
Radioisotope | Half-life | Use |
Carbon-14 | 5 715 years | Used to measure the age of organic material that is up to 50 000 years old. |
Chlorine-36 | 301 000 years | Used to measure sources of chloride and the age of water that is up to 2 million years old |
Lead-210 | 22.6 years | Used to date layers of sand and soil laid down up to 80 years ago. |
Hydrogen-3 (tritium) | 12.32 years | Used to measure the age of ‘young’ groundwater (up to 30 years old). |
Artificially produced radioisotopes used in industry and science
Radioisotope | Halflife | Use |
Americium-241 • | 232.7 years | Used in neutron gauging and smoke detectors. |
Cobalt-60 • | 5.27 years | Used in gamma radiography, gauging, and commercial medical equipment sterilisation. |
Caesium-137 • | 30.07 years | Used in radiotracing to identify sources of soil erosion and depositing; also for thickness gauging. |
Gold-198 • | 2.7 days | Used to trace factory waste causing ocean pollution, and to trace sand movement in river beds and on ocean floors. |
| 2.7 days 6.01 days | Used to study sewage and liquid waste movements. Nb technetium-99m is generated from its reactor-produced 'parent', molybdenum-99. |
Iridium-192 | 73.8 days | Used in gamma radiography |
Iridium-192 • Chromium-51• | 73.8 days 2.7 days 27.7 days | Used to trace sand to study coastal erosion |
Tritiated water (containing tritium) | 12.32 years | Used as a tracer to study sewage and liquid wastes. |
Ytterbium-169 | 32 days | Used in gamma radiography |
Zinc-65 † Manganese-54 • | 243.87 days | Used to predict the behaviour of heavy metal components in effluents from mining waste water. |