Xenon: Radionuclides

Abstract

Radioxenon isotopes are noble gases mainly produced in nuclear fission e.g., uranium‐235. In nuclear medicine, xenon‐133 isotopes are used for measuring the physiological parameters of lung ventilation and to image the lungs. They are further used in isotonic solutions to image blood flow, particularly cerebral blood flow. Most radioactive isotopes of this element are produced by a nuclear fission reaction of uranium‐235, uranium‐238, or plutonium‐239. Xenon‐133 is the most abundant radioxenons observed in environmental samples, although contributions of 131m Xe and 135 Xe can be determined down to a few percent of the total β‐activity. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) for 133 Xe in routine samples is about 1 mBq m −3 . This article will describe the production, applications, occurrence, and measurement of the various xenon isotopes.