Decorporation of Radionuclides

Nuclear industries produce a large number of radionuclides for energy production, medical use, and research purposes. Safety culture of nuclear facilities is considered good and use of personal protective equipment is encouraged but still chances of radiation exposure and internal contamination cannot be ruled out. In case of internal contamination, internalized radionuclide irradiates target organs and may cause longer-term adverse health risks. Decorporation methods are employed to reduce these long-term health effects by removal of internalized radionuclides. This is accomplished by reducing absorption, avoiding incorporation and internal deposition of radionuclides within organs, and enhancing the removal or excretion of absorbed radionuclides. The general decorporation strategy involves blocking and isotopic dilution, displacement, mobilization, and chelation therapy. This chapter covers various aspects of decorporation strategies to be implemented in case of internal contamination by radionuclides. It touches on goals of decorporation, decision on treatment, when to initiate treatment, various mechanisms involved in treatment, possible side effects of decorporation therapy. The chapter also discusses recent ongoing research in the field of developing novel chelating agents and decorporation strategy. And lastly, it summarizes present practices of decorporation for selected radionuclides.