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. |
|
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 |
Half-life |
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 seconds 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 |
Half-life |
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. |
|
Gold-198 • Technetium-99m • |
2.7 days 6.01 hours |
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 • Gold-198 • 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 312.1 days |
Used to predict the behaviour of heavy metal components in effluents from mining waste water. |
Key: • reactor-produced † cyclotron-produced
Nb only the more commonly used radioisotopes are listed here