Reactor leak halts Canada isotope output

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 28-May-2009 14:49 hrs 

A technician at Shea Creek drilling site in Canada uses a machine to measure gamma rays in the search for uranium supplies. A Canadian nuclear reactor that produced about a third of the world's supply of medical isotopes has halted operation for three months due to a heavy water leak, authorities said. 

"These countries all have different constraints and capacity that we are working through, but we will continue using all resources available to us to manage this shortfall."

The reactor, about 50 years old, stopped operations on Monday when the leak was discovered.

The AECL said the location of the heavy water leak was at the base of "the reactor vessel in a location where there is corrosion on the outside wall of the vessel" and that more tests were underway.

In 2007 the reactor was forced to halt work in order to undergo repairs, resulting in a temporary shortage of isotopes. — AFP


From TODAYOnline.com, Health – Thursday, 28-May-2009; see the source article here.

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