Waste minimization in the Los Alamos Medical Radioisotope Program

Since the mid-1970s the Los Alamos Medical Radioisotope Program has been irradiating target materials to produce and recover radioisotopes for applications in medicine, environmental science, biology, physics, materials research, and other disciplines where radiotracers find utility. By necessity, the chemical processing of targets and the isolation of radioisotopes generates radioactive waste materials. In recent years there have been federal mandates requiring us to discontinue the use of hazardous materials and to minimize radioactive waste volumes. As a result, substantial waste reduction measures have been introduced at the irradiation facility, in processing approaches, and even in the ways the product isotopes are supplied to users. (author). 13 refs., 3 figs