Molybdenum-99
Mo-99 Critical To Healthcare
Mo-99/Tc-99m is used in over 40,000 diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in the US each day, which represent 80% of all diagnostic molecular imaging procedures. Chances are that you have had or will have at least one Mo-99/Tc-99m diagnostic procedure in your lifetime. Mo-99/Tc-99m imaging represents a $3 billion dollar a year global industry.
To say that Mo-99/Tc-99m represents by far the workhorse isotope for doctors to determine the functionality of organs is not an understatement. Mo-99/Tc-99m will continue to be the most important medical diagnostic radioisotope for decades to come. It is important that the US has a reliable, domestic source for this material.
A significant challenge in the production and distribution of Mo-99—its short half-life of 2.75 days makes it impossible to stockpile or keep on the shelf for distribution. This means that, in 2.75 days, half of the Mo-99 that existed in supply has been lost due to radioactive decay. Mo-99 must be continuously produced and distributed to radiopharmacies and hospitals without delay for use, with no supply disruptions. If the production of Mo-99 ceased today, it would all be gone within a couple of weeks! The Eden facility is a continuous production facility operating 22 hours per day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.
Fission Mo-99 Process
