EON

Reactor Not Able To Meet Sudden Increased World Isotope Needs

Chalk River, Ontario- There is an increasing shortage of medical Isotopes worldwide, and the Chalk River Ontario Nuclear reactor has been providing much of the worldwide needs, but it is not going to be able to provide enough to meet the sudden worldwide isotope shortage.

A spokesman for the Crown Corporation, owners of the reactor said that the production of the facility would be increased to try and help meet the increased need.

A reactor in Belgium that produces much of the same material closes this week, and its closure will leave a shortage worldwide that the Chalk River reactor will be not able to meet.

Dale Coffin, Crown spokesman, said that there is no way that the Chalk River Reactor will be able to take up the shortage, or make up the slack.

All of the major reactors around the world that produce these types of medical radioactive isotopes were shut down this last week, for unrelated reasons.

The reactors are located in South Africa, Europe, and Canada, and each of them being closed at the same time means that the shortage of these medical isotopes will approach critical situations likely over the next week or two.

Radioactive isotopes are instrumental in helping to diagnose some forms of cancer, and are also used to diagnose heart disease.  These isotopes are used in over 30 million different medical procedures around the world each year.

Four of the five worldwide reactors were closed for routine maintenance, and the Belgium plant was closed because of sudden safety concerns.