Determination of 99Mo contamination in 99mTc elute obtained from 99Mo/99mTc- generator

Background: Tc-99m is a widely used radioisotope in nuclear medicine centers which is obtained by elution from Mo-99/Tc-99m generators. Usually the generators are either supplied by the Iran Atomic Energy Agency or by private companies from foreign countries. In this study we have measured Mo-99 contamination in Tc-99m elute from different generators in a period of one year. Materials and Methods: The radionuclide impurity of the Tc-99m elute were studied in two types of radionuclide generators (A: produced in Iran and B: Imported from other country). In-vitro measurements were performed using dose calibrator. Direct measurements were made, using a standard canister at the time of milking of the generators and also in subsequent hours after milking. Results: The results showed a mean of Mo-99 impurity in generators A and B to be 0.00932 +/- 0.0043 and 0.0170 +/- 0.0127 respectively. Although the results showed that the Mo-99 contamination in Tc-99m elute was lesser than the maximum accepted activity limit of 0.015%, the difference in these two types may reflect different methods of productions of generator, as well as the quality control procedures. Conclusion: The mean of Mo-99 contamination in generators produced in Iran Atomic Energy Organization was lesser than generators imported from foreign origin. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2010; 8 (1): 31-35