Letter to the Editor
of
Dear Dr. Visek: Separated, enriched isotopes are fundamental to many current scientific investigations, and stable iso topes are increasingly being used to investigate the nutrient and metabolic needs of humans, especially healthy children and pregnant or lactating women, in whom the use of radioactive isotopes is not ap propriate. Currently, however, such research is se verely compromised by the limited availability and high cost of these isotopes. We are particularly concerned about 18O and the metal stable isotopes. During the past five years, for example, the cost of calcium stable isotopes has in creased approximately fivefold; a single study of calcium metabolism in humans costs several thousand dollars for the calcium stable isotopes alone. These costs have made such research prohibi tively expensive, seriously impairing research into osteoporosis and other conditions important to the public health. The availability of metal isotopes is now likely to become even more limited. The only source of domestically produced metal stable isotopes, the calutron facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is no longer producing enriched isotopes. The facility is in a state of readiness ("stand-by mode"), but is not
therefore, have been deemed inadequately funded to support their continued operation. This shutdown will likely cause severe shortages and price increases in all the metal stable isotopes. We believe that a supply of separated isotopes is integral to scientific research. We wish to inform our colleagues of this major problem and to encourage their support for funding for calutron operation and 18O production.
being operated because of a funding shortage. Current Department of Energy policy requires full cost recovery for isotope production,the calutrons,
Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO 63110
0022-3166/92
$3.00 ©1992 American
Institute
of Nutrition.
Steven A. Abrams Department of Pediatrics Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030 Peter D. Klein
Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030 Vernon R. Young
School of Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139 Dennis
M. Bier
Received 9 July 1992. Accepted 14 July 1992. J. Nutr. 122: 2053, 1992. 2053
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/122/10/2053/4754555 by Tulane University Medical Library user on 03 February 2019
Letter of Concern Regarding a Possible Shortage Separated Isotopes
of
Dear Dr. Visek: Separated, enriched isotopes are fundamental to many current scientific investigations, and stable iso topes are increasingly being used to investigate the nutrient and metabolic needs of humans, especially healthy children and pregnant or lactating women, in whom the use of radioactive isotopes is not ap propriate. Currently, however, such research is se verely compromised by the limited availability and high cost of these isotopes. We are particularly concerned about 18O and the metal stable isotopes. During the past five years, for example, the cost of calcium stable isotopes has in creased approximately fivefold; a single study of calcium metabolism in humans costs several thousand dollars for the calcium stable isotopes alone. These costs have made such research prohibi tively expensive, seriously impairing research into osteoporosis and other conditions important to the public health. The availability of metal isotopes is now likely to become even more limited. The only source of domestically produced metal stable isotopes, the calutron facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is no longer producing enriched isotopes. The facility is in a state of readiness ("stand-by mode"), but is not
therefore, have been deemed inadequately funded to support their continued operation. This shutdown will likely cause severe shortages and price increases in all the metal stable isotopes. We believe that a supply of separated isotopes is integral to scientific research. We wish to inform our colleagues of this major problem and to encourage their support for funding for calutron operation and 18O production.
being operated because of a funding shortage. Current Department of Energy policy requires full cost recovery for isotope production,the calutrons,
Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO 63110
0022-3166/92
$3.00 ©1992 American
Institute
of Nutrition.
Steven A. Abrams Department of Pediatrics Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030 Peter D. Klein
Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030 Vernon R. Young
School of Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139 Dennis
M. Bier
Received 9 July 1992. Accepted 14 July 1992. J. Nutr. 122: 2053, 1992. 2053
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/122/10/2053/4754555 by Tulane University Medical Library user on 03 February 2019
Letter of Concern Regarding a Possible Shortage Separated Isotopes
