Production of Molybdenum 99 at the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center

Technetium-99m (99mTc), the daughter (decay product) of molybdenum-99 (99Mo), is the most commonly used medical radioisotope in the world. It is estimated that 99mTc is used 35,000 times a day in the United States, yet there is no domestic U.S. production of 99Mo. Any disruption to the United States import of 99Mo will devastate the U.S. medical community’s ability to diagnose and treat thousands of patients daily. The University of Missouri Research Reactor Center (MURR) was an early producer of 99Mo. During the 1970’s and early 1980’s, MURR produced 99Mo through neutron capture by 98Mo. Today, MURR’s objective is to be able to produce ~50% of the U.S. 99Mo need through the fissioning of low enriched uranium targets, (