Sources of carrier F-19 in F-18 fluoride

Fluorine-18 is used for many PET radiopharmaceuticals. Theoretically 18F should be carrier free and a good candidate for nanochemistry. However, 18F has 10 to 1000 times more stable fluorine atoms than radioactive atoms. In order to understand the source of carrier fluoride and other ions associated with 18F radiosynthesis, anion concentrations of different components of 18F target systems as well as solvents and chemicals used in radiosynthesis were measured. Results: The enriched water used for production of 18F had low levels of anions. In general, the sources of anions, particularly of fluoride, were the chemical reagents used for synthesis and trace contaminants in tubing, valves and fittings. A major component of contamination was nitrate from irradiation of dissolved nitrogen gas in the target water.