Radioisotopes for affordable healthcare: recovery of valuable radionuclides from high level waste

Utilization of the radioisotopes in medical applications is one of the prime objectives of the Indian nuclear program. Towards this, radioisotopes have been produced in nuclear reactors through the activation route. Of late, with the development of advanced separation techniques, it is possible to recover the radioisotopes from high level nuclear waste for medical applications. The high level waste generated from reprocessing the spent fuel contains many radioisotopes in significant quantities as produced during the fission of ²³⁵U. This article highlights the medical applications of these three fission products