South Africa Is Stepping Up as Major Source for Isotope

Volcanic eruptions, reactor shutdowns and a push for low-enriched uranium have combined to make South Africa a leading source for a widely used diagnostic isotope. When an Icelandic volcano erupted last month, grounding flights between Europe and the U.S., both Lantheus and Covidien turned to NTP Radioisotopes, a subsidiary of South African Nuclear Energy, to secure the molybdenum 99 they put in generators to produce technetium-99m.
International Medical Device Regulatory Monitor