How does technetium 99m decay

In order to leave the excited state, technetiumm nuclei emits keV characteristic gamma rays without accompanying beta rays.

This property makes them highly desirable in medicine. Gamma rays are absorbed far from the examined organ, minimizing the danger posed to living matter. The technetium precursor is molybdenum, a radioactive nuclei generally produced in reactors.

The 66 hours molybdenum radioactive half-life give enough time to transport it to hospitals and to extract chemically technetium 99m. The radioisotople placed in a radiopharmaceutical serum is then injected into the patient, which allows gamma camera scans providing accurate pictures of the patient's body.

Access to page in french. EN FR. For instance, several countries have plans to develop new capabilities to produce Mo In addition, companies are developing alternative production methods that do not require uranium targets. One approach is to use neutron capture, in which the stable Mo isotope captures a neutron and transmutes to Mo Other approaches remove the need for a reactor completely, such as photon-induced transmutation of Mo to Mo using photons from electron accelerators.

The need for Tcm is clear, and all stakeholders are working hard to safeguard its supply. The most widely used medical radioisotope, Tcm looks set to continue making an invaluable and significant impact on the lives of patients across the globe.

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Enter e-mail address This e-mail address will be used to create your account. Reset your password. Air, sea water, soils, plants and animals contain very low concentrations of Tc Because of its long half-life, Tc remains in the environment for an extended period of time. Organic matter in soils and sediments slow the transport of Tc In the presence of oxygen, plants readily take up technetium compounds from the soils.

Some plants such as brown algae in seawater are able to concentrate Tc Sea animals can also concentrate Technetium in their bodies. Tiny amounts of Tc are part of the environment and are found in food and water. Higher amounts may be found close to contaminated facilities such as federal weapons facilities or nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Exposure to technetium from the environment is unlikely. Most human exposure to technetium comes from the intentional use of Tcm in nuclear medicine.

Technetium can pose a health risk when it enters the body.