13.5 - Summary Of Common Unsealed Sources
I'm basing this of the similar tables created for Sealed Sources. Some of this information, particularly the biological and effective half lives, is almost impossible to find.
Source | Emissions | Tp | Tb | Te | Daughter | Indications | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
131I | Max 606 keV β | 8 days | Varies | Varies | 131Xe | Thyroid imaging, treatment of thyrotoxicosis, treatment of thyroid cancer | Most commonly used unsealed source for treatment |
153Sm | Max 808 keV β, 103 keV γ | 47 hours | 153Eu | Bony metastases | Short half life, rapidly excreted, photon emissions allow imaging of distribution | ||
89Sr | 1.46 MeV β | 50.5 days | N/A | N/A | 89Y | Bony metastases | Rapidly excreted from the body; concentrates in areas of high bone turnover |
32P | 1.7 MeV β | 14.9 days | 257 days | 13.5 days | 32S | Polycythaemia Rubra Vera, bone metastases | Involved in many processes, high rates of haematological toxicity |
90Y | Max 2.26 MeV β | 2.7 days | 90Zr | Irradiation of synovium (knee joint) | Produced from decay of 90Sr; short half life limits transport |