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 Production processes for recovering Iodine

The different production processes for recovering iodine are based on the raw materials used. Approximately 54% of the iodine consumed in the world is obtained from Chile as a coproduct from surface mineral deposits used to produce nitrate fertilizers. About 43% of the iodine consumed in the world comes from brines processed in Japan, the US and the Soviet Union. In 2001, iodine was recovered from brines by three companies operating in Oklahoma, which accounted for 100% of the U.S. elemental iodine production.

Production:

Cyclotron produced. At UC Davis, a continuous flow method was developed and has been operational since 1974 providing high-purity 123I made indirectly by means of the 127-Iodine (p, 5n) 123Xe→123-Iodine reaction. 

 

Procedures suited for a cyclotron were developed to produce 50-mCi batches of radiochemically pure iodine-123 as iodide. Iodine-123 is separated from proton-irradiated tellurium-124 by distillation. 

 

Diposal: 

The hospital radioactive waste is mostly composed of low level waste and occasional medium level waste with short half-lives. The management of radioactive waste involves two stages: collection and disposal. When two different isotopes of different half-lives are used, separate waste collection bags and bins should be used for each. Each bag or bin must bear a label with name of the isotope, level of activity and date of monitoring.

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