Brookhaven National Laboratory Honored for AP Hot Cell Renovation

Since 2014, the Department of Energy Isotope Program (DOE IP) has sponsored research efforts to provide accelerator-produced actinium-225 (Ac-225) for radiotherapy. While the DOE IP has been ramping up production, available hot cell space to process Ac-225 has been a limiting factor.

As part of an $8.5 million refurbishment project, an obsolete hot cell facility and labs were retrofitted to create a new All-Purpose (AP) Hot Cell Facility to enhance Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Isotope Program processing capabilities.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York recently recognized the upgrades to the AP Hot Cells at BNL with a Platinum Award in the Studies & Research Category at the 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala in New York City. 

The AP Hot Cells are predominantly used to process irradiated thorium targets for Ac-225 production. These hot cells introduced an additional Ac-225 processing site for the DOE IP, providing highly sought-after processing redundancy. Furthermore, the co-location of Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer and the hot cells enabled a more efficient path toward larger Ac-225 batch sizes.

For more information on Ac-225, or to request a quote, visit  https://isotopes.gov/information/actinium225.