Determination of technetium-99 in environmental material with rhenium as a yield monitor

The ability of the close analogue element rhenium to act as a satisfactory non-isotopic yield monitor for the analysis of 99Tc in environmental materials is explored and its performance critically evaluated in a new radioanalytical method designed specifically for use with rhenium as both carrier and yield monitor. The advanteges and limitations of rhenium for this purpose are compared with isotopic tracers such as 99mTc, 97mTc and 95mTc. When employed in a well designed analytical scheme, rhenium, which has received only limited consideration in the past, is shown to be a cheap, reliable alternative to isotopic tracers. (author) 33 refs.; 6 figs.; 6 tabs