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No. N-16 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AEC TO OFFER USED CALIFORNIUM-252 MEDICAL NEEDLES TO UNIVERSITIES ON EXTENDED LOAN The Atomic Energy Commission is making available to educational institutions on an extended loan basis small quantities of californium-252 for teaching and other educational activities. Californium-252 is an isotope of a man-made element, californium, and is an intense neutron emitter. This characteristic has made the isotope a promising tool in many applications in medicine, industry, and research. The material to be loaned is now held by three medical institutions, the M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which are investigating the effectiveness of californium encapsulated into needles for cancer The needles will be returned around 1971. Since the needles generally will contain less than a microgram of californium and it would be uneconomical to recover this material, AEC will make them available on loan at that time to educational institutions. ( A microgram is one millionth of a gram. There are about 454 grams in a pound.) Because of the potential benefit to educational institutions and the AEC's californium market evaluation program, the AEC is making these sources available under an existing loan program offering a wide variety of nuclear material to universities. Already on loan are uranium slugs, small cylinders Of natural uranium used in nuclear physics experiments; special nuclear material such as uranium-233, uranium-235 and plutonium; and also graphite and heavy water. The inclusion of used californium needles would give students an opportunity to become
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familiar with the handling, features and applications of this isotope. Future uses of the material may also be found as a result of the program. The returned needles were initially loaned to the three medical institutions as part of the AEC's californium market evaluation program. Since this program was initiated in early 1969, fourteen contracts have been signed with evaluators to investigate its possible uses and market. Loaned sources, which have ranged in size from a few micrograms to over one milligram, are loaned in encapsulated form, f.0.b. Savannah River Plant. The investigator agrees to evaluate and finance the testing of the material for a particular application, and to provide quarterly reports to the AEC on h i s work. In addition to loaned californium sources, direct sale quantities of the isotope limited to one microgram or less are available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory for $100 per onetenth of a microgram. The Savannah River Operations Office will coordinate the loan of the needles. Representatives of universities interested in the program should write to the Manager, Savannah River Operations Office, P. 0. Box "A", Aiken, South Carolina 2 9 8 0 1 , or to the Director, Division of Nuclear Education and Training,
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NO. N-16 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AEC TO OFFER USED CALIFORNIUM-252 MEDICAL NEEDLES TO UNIVERSITIES ON EXTENDED LOAN The Atomic Energy Commission is making available to educational institutions on an extended loan basis small quantities of californium-252 for teaching and other educational activities. Californium-252 is an isotope of a man-made element, californium, and is an intense neutron emitter. This characteristic has made the isotope a promising tool in many applications in medicine, industry, and research. The material to be loaned is now held by three medical institutions, the M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which are investigating the effectiveness of californium encapsulated into needles f o r cancer The needles will be returned around 1971. Since the needles generally will contain less than a microgram of californium and it would be uneconomical to recover this material, AEC will make them available on loan at that time to educational institutions. (A microgram is one millionth of a gram. There are about 4 5 4 grams in a pound.) Because of the potential benefit to educational institutions and the AEC's californium market evaluation program, the AEC is making these sources available under an existing loan program offering a wide variety of nuclear material to universities. Already on loan are uranium slugs, small cylinders of natural uranium used in nuclear physics experiments; special nuclear material such as uranium-233, uranium-235 and plutonium; and a l s o graphite and heavy water. The inclusion of used californium needles would give students an opportunity to become
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familiar with the handling, features and applications of t h i s isotope. Future uses of the material may also be f0ur.d as a result of the program. The returned needles were initially loaned to the three medical institutions as part of the AEC's californium market evaluation program. Since this program was initiated in early 1969, fourteen contracts have been signed with evaluators to investigate its possible uses and market. Loaned sources, which have ranged in size from a few micrograms to over one milligram, are loaned in encapsulated form, f.0.b. Savannah River Plant. The investigator agrees to evaluate and finance the testing of the material for a particular application, and to provide quarterly reports to the AEC on his work. In addition to loaned californium sources, direct sale quantities of the isotope limited to one microgram or less are available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory for $100 per onetenth of a microgram. The Savannah River Operations Office will coordinate the loan of the needles. Representatives of universities interested in the program should write to the Manager, Savannah River Operations Office, P. 0. Box "A", Aiken, South Carolina 29801, or to the Director, Division of Nuclear Education and Training,