The excitation functions of (100)Mo(p,x)(99)Mo and (100)Mo(p,2n)(99m)Tc.

Proton-induced nuclear reactions for generation of (99)Mo and (99m)Tc radionuclides were investigated using the stacked-foil activation technique on 99.05% enriched (100)Mo targets at energies up to Ep=21MeV. Excitation functions of the reactions (100)Mo(p,x)(99)Mo and (100)Mo(p,2n)(99m)Tc have been measured.

Physical optimization of production by deuteron irradiation of high specific activity (177g)Lu suitable for radioimmunotherapy.

Deuteron-induced nuclear reactions for generation of no-carrier-added (NCA) Lu isotopes were investigated using the stacked-foil activation technique on natural Yb targets at energies up to Ed=18.18MeV. The decay curve of ¹77Yb, the growth curve of the cumulative (direct and indirect) and the direct production of (177g)Lu were determined. The analysis of these curves conducts to the evidence that the predominant route for the production of (177g)Lu is the indirect reaction ¹76Yb(d,p)¹77Yb, which decays to (177g)Lu. In the spectra acquired one year from the EOB the γ lines of (177m)Lu are not evident. A comparison between the calculated activity of (177g)Lu produced with a cyclotron and with a nuclear reactor is given.

Fukushima fallout at Milano, Italy.

The radionuclides (131)I, (137)Cs and (134)Cs were observed in the Milano region (45°) of Italy early after the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan. Increased atmospheric radioactivity was observed on an air filter taken on 30 March 2011, while the maximum activity of 467 µBq m(-3) for (131)I was recorded at April 3-4, 2011. The first evidence of Fukushima fallout was confirmed with (131)I and (137)Cs measured in precipitation at two sampling sites at Milano on 28 March, 2011, with the concentrations of (131)I and (137)Cs in the rainwater equal to 0.89 Bq L(-1) and 0.12 Bq L(-1), respectively. A sample of dry deposition that was collected 9 days after the first rainfall event of 27-28 March, 2011 showed that the dry deposition was more effective in the case of (137)Cs than it was for (131)I, probably because iodine was mainly in gaseous form whereas caesium was rapidly bound to aerosols and thus highly subject to dry deposition. The relatively high observed values of (137)Cs in grass, soil and fresh goat and cow milk samples were probably from Chernobyl fallout and global fallout from past nuclear tests rather than from the Fukushima accident. Finally, a dose assessment for the region of investigation showed clearly that the detected activities in all environmental samples were very far below levels of concern.

Excitation function for deuteron induced nuclear reactions on natural ytterbium for production of high specific activity 177g Lu in no-carrier-added form for metabolic radiotherapy.

Deuteron-induced nuclear reactions for generation of no-carrier-added Lu radionuclides were investigated using the stacked-foil activation technique on natural Yb targets at energies up to E(d)=18.18 MeV. Excitation functions of the reactions (nat)Yb(d,xn)(169,170,171,172,173,174g,174m,176m,177g)Lu and (nat)Yb(d,pxn)(169,175,177)Yb have been measured, among them three ((169)Lu, (174m)Lu and (176m)Lu) are reported for the first time. The upper limit of the contamination from the long-lived metastable level (177m)Lu was evaluated too. Thick-target yields for all investigated radionuclides are calculated.

Preparation of "high specific activity" radiochemical forms of vanadium, manganese and thallium for metallo-toxicological studies.

In this paper are presented the production methods for very "high specific activity" radionuclides (HSA-RN) of vanadium, manganese and thallium which have been developed in our laboratories for labelling different chemical forms of these elements present in the echo-systems in ultra-trace amounts, for metallo-toxicological and bio-kinetic studies. Use was made of both cyclotron and thermal nuclear reactor. If the nuclear reaction product has atomic number different from irradiated target, it is possible separating the radioactive nuclide from irradiated target, without addition of isotopic carrier. This kind of radionuclide is named No Carrier Added, NCA, and his specific activity, As is very high and can reach values close to the theoretical Carrier Free one, CF. The experimental determination of specific activity, chemical and radiochemical purities is mandatory for all these kinds of applications.