A solvent extraction-based procedure for removal of Sc impurity from reactor produced [Ca]CaCl for its potential use in bone pain palliation.

Calcium-45 [T = 163 d, E (max) = 0.3 MeV] is a pure β emitting radioisotope which can be envisaged for potential use in palliative care of pain due to skeletal metastases of primary cancer. During production of Ca in nuclear reactor via Ca (n,γ) Ca route, Sc is co-produced as a radionuclidic impurity. In this study, we have optimized a single-step solvent extraction procedure for complete removal of Sc impurity from [Ca]CaCl. The purified radiotracer was administered intravenously in normal Wistar rats and preferential bone uptake could be demonstrated by ex vivo biodistribution studies.