Bruce Power has successfully completed another harvest of life-saving Cobalt-60, continuing as a world leader in the production of this critical medical isotope.
“Bruce Power continues to be a major supplier of Cobalt-60, and now more than ever the world’s health care community needs these life-saving medical isotopes,” said Peter McDermid, Director, Isotopes and Site Energy Development. “Bruce Power has a key role to play in the global supply of Cobalt-60, and we are proud to continue to do our part in supporting the international health care community with these indispensable medical
tools.”
The medical isotopes will now be processed and distributed worldwide by Ottawa-based Nordion to sterilize life-saving medical equipment such as syringes, surgical masks, gowns and gloves, as well as in the specialized treatment of breast cancer and brain tumours.
“Cobalt-60 is critical to global health care”, said Riaz Bandali, President of Nordion. “From sterilizing a broad range of medical devices, to treating cancer, to ensuring clean equipment and packaging for vaccine production, the partnership between Bruce Power and Nordion makes a significant contribution to the health and well-being of people around the world on a daily basis.”
Cobalt-60 harvested from Bruce Power’s reactors helps to sterilize 40 per cent of the world’s single-use medical equipment. The sterilization of single-use medical devices using Cobalt-60 is one of the key factors to a strong, modern health care system. As the world’s health care sector continues to battle the pandemic, while also dealing with increasing population and medical needs, demand for Cobalt-60 has grown. Bruce Power’s Cobalt-60 will be processed and quickly distributed around the world to meet demand for sterilization of single-use swabs, gloves, and gowns.
Bruce Power’s Cobalt-60 is also used in Gamma Knife treatments in the fight against breast cancer and brain tumours. The technology, which is growing in popularity each year, is currently used in over 600 hospitals worldwide, including six in Canada.
The Cobalt-60 harvest occurred during a planned maintenance outage in Unit 5, which is part of the ongoing Life-Extension Program at the Bruce Power site. This investment program will ensure Bruce Power provides reliable, carbon-free electricity and life-saving medical isotopes through 2064.
Learn more about how Bruce Power is helping to keep hospitals safe, and also diagnosing and treating cancer, at www.brucepower.com/isotopes .
Image: Cobalt rods harvested from a Bruce Power reactor are kept in water to provide cooling and radiological shielding before being processed for shipping. The blue glow Cobalt-60 gives off in the water is known as the Cherenkov effect.
source: media release, Bruce Power
