Separation of no-carrier-added 64Cu from a proton irradiated 64Ni enriched nickel target.

An ion exchange method has been developed to separate no-carrier-added 64Cu from irradiated Ni target. The target is first dissolved in nitric acid and the solution is evaporated to dryness and the residue is dissolved in an ethanol-HCl solution. Cu, Co and Ni in ethanol-HCl solution are then absorbed on an anion exchange column.

Precautions in the use of 110mAg as a tracer of silver metabolism in ecotoxicology: preferential bioconcentration of 109Cd by trout gills after 110mAg exposure.

An often overlooked problem in the use of radiotracers is the possibility of isotopic contamination. Commercially available silver 110mAg was used to study silver uptake and depuration in rainbow trout and European eel. Quality control by means of comparative gamma and beta counting brought our attention to a contamination of the 110mAg stock with 109Cd, which could be seen only because the 109Cd was markedly bioconcentrated by trout gills.