Need review of emergency throughout the system

How can be cancer or bone disease diagnostics screens The issue has arisen specifically in May 2009, when the Canadian NRU nuclear reactor had to be stopped as a result of a leak, depriving the world of 40 of these medical examinations for radioisotopes. Ten months later, in February, the Dutch HFR reactor it also had to stop production to maintenance work, depriving the additional 30 world market and Europe 60 of its supply of isotopes.

At the peak of the crisis, vital examinations are passed to the trap in some countries. After fifteen months of repairs, NRU resumed production on August 17. HFR followed him on 10 September. Meanwhile, other manufacturers, including the Commissariat for Atomic Energy (CEA), in France, have adapted their production tool to meet the demand. The real shortage was avoided, but the sector will have to find a sustainable economic model if it wants to prevent other shortages, according to the Agency of nuclear energy (NEA), which has just published a study on the subject.

Some 35 million medical examinations are carried out each year in the world with isotopes. But more than 90 of world production is provided by five reactors located at the Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, Belgium and France. But these devices were all more than forty-three years and show signs of weakness. "With age, they are less reliable, says Ron Cameron, author of the study." The problem is that they do not even cover their production costs, still less for maintenance or replacement costs. Need review of emergency throughout the system.

Structural failures

How has it happened Originally, the reactors in question were research tools. They started the production of molybdenum-99, the raw material of isotopes, once investments were already paid. Their operators, including the ECA, therefore marketed the molybdenum-99 as a Coproduct, without taking into account real costs that include the original investment. "Revenues derived there from are a little our pocket money," recognizes Alain Alberman, responsible for commercial projects with the Department of the reactors and nuclear services of CEA.

According to the study of the NEA, structural failures of the market does not stop there. Even though they had intended to sell more expensive isotopes, operators would not necessarily have as they had in front of them a very limited number of buyers. "They were locked by long-term contracts very favourable treatment business", often of old public structures which have been privatized, according to Ron Cameron. The voltage of the supply chain is also linked to the nature of molybdenum-99, which loses its radioactivity, so its effectiveness, in six days.

After having heard all of the players in the sector, the Agency of the OECD is a troubling equation: a nuclear operator sells 1 curie (unit of measure, which allows 45 medical examinations) for 45 euros on average. The processing company and the generator the market between 300 and 400 euros and radiopharmacy laboratory the charge to 1,810 euros. "In the end, the operator of the reactor collects 1 euro for a review of scintigraphy between 200 and 250 euros paid by social security," said Alain Alberman.

To reach a long-term economic situation, the NEA provides that the price of the curie passes to a range in price from 55 to 400 euros, according to the investment scenario. Given the modest share of the reactor in the current equation, it would have little impact on the supply chain, according to the Agency. The CEA, which built a new reactor at Cadarache, following the record close. The subject must be discussed in the next few weeks by a group of experts and an international meeting held in Paris, early 2011.

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