“High Specific Activity” radiotracers for metallo-toxicological studies: cyclotron and nuclear reactor production, radiochemical separation and quality control. Platinum, iridium, gold, copper and gallium

A review. Very High Specific Activity RadioNuclides, HSARN, are a powerful tool to label a wide variety of chem. elements and compds. present in the biosphere in ultra-trace amts. Medium and high Z radionuclides, can be produced by irradn. in light-ions accelerator and sometimes nuclear reactor. If the nuclear reaction product has at. no. different from irradiated target, it is possible sepg. the radioactive nuclide from irradiated target, without addn. of isotopic carrier. These kinds of radionuclides are named No Carrier Added, NCA, and their specific activity is very high and can reach values close to the theor. Carrier Free one. The true specific activity must be detd. using very sensitive radioanal. techniques. If a low isotopic diln. factor is obtained, these radiotracers are used to label inorg. species and complexes of elements, which are presently introduced into the echo-systems by human activities. New prodn. methods for NCA Pt, Ir, Au, Cu and Ga radiotracers are presented, with some details on radiochem. and quality controls.