The benefits of nuclear science are being disseminated as the country has developed expertise to develop radioisotopes for use in wide ranging fields like medicine, industry, agriculture, hydrology and scientific researches.

The following are the few important applications of the radioisotopes.

(i) Development of Radioimmunoassay. (RIAS) widely used for measuring the extremely low levels of hormones in patient blood samples are of the important activities of the Isotope Programme at BARC.

(ii) Isotope tracer technology in BARC helps to study the functions of parts and organ systems of various plants and animal bodies such as the liver, the kidneys and the spleen, thus enabling the detection of different disease states,

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(iii) Radiotracers are successfully used to locate points of ground water seepage into underground concereteducts of high active waste lines at Kalpakkam Fuel Reprocessing Plant (KARP), Kalpakkam.

(iv) BARC’s expertise in Isotope Hydrology is continued to be made available to wear resources management in India and abroad.

(v) A Nucleonic suspended sediment concentration gauge for control of dredging operations in ports and harbors is undergoing on trial. When fully operational, it will help avoiding over dredging, thus substantially savings in bridging cost.

(vi) Development of a radiation source by BARC for the treatment of eye cancer is another application of radioisotope. This is based on encapsulating iodine-125 impregnated silver rods in tiny titanium tubes by laser welding.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(vii) Over 50,000 consignment of different radiopharmaceuticals and radio-immunoassay kits are supplied for use in nuclear medicine, enabling an estimated 7, 00,000 patient investigations to be carried out in the country,

(viii) Regular production and supply of kits for Tc-99m ECD injection for neurology, Tc-99 m DMSA (V) injection for kidney and modularly thyroid carcinoma and sodium phosphate P-32 injection for bone pain palliation are approved.

(ix) For studies in molecular biology, the JONAKI Laboratory at Hyderabad is producing phosphorus-22 labeled nucleotides.

(x) Several studies are initiated at BARC related to the effects of radioiodine. Therapy on the lunts, kidneys and marrow and 1131 MIBG therapy for treatment of Nero endocrine malignancies. At present about 400 radio isotopes and labeled compounds are being produced by BARC.