The Maria nuclear reactor in Poland has ramped up its medical isotope production to fill a temporary shortage caused by a water leak discovered in a Dutch high flux reactor.
The Nuclear Research & Consultancy Group (NRG) announced on Jan. 21 that an inspection at the high flux reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, shut down production for an indeterminate period of time. The “unplanned” outage has caused a supply shortage of both Mo-99 and Lu-177.
Poland’s only research reactor, Maria, quickly adapted to take over Mo-99 production, according to the National Center for Nuclear Research in Świerk. NCBJ said Maria began producing the isotope in a “matter of hours” following the shutdown.
The Maria reactor has been preparing since 2010 to produce Mo-99 in the event of an unexpected shutdown, according to World Nuclear News.
“Several cycles each year are performed and, in case of unplanned shutdowns within primary suppliers, Maria is prepared to increase its supply,” NCBJ told the news outlet.
Read the entire story below.
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.