(Mis)use of (133)Ba as a calibration surrogate for (131)I in clinical activity calibrators.

Using NIST-calibrated solutions of (131)Ba and (131)I in the 5mL NIST ampoule geometry, measurements were made in three NIST-maintained Capintec activity calibrators and the NIST Vinten 671 ionization chamber to evaluate the suitability of using (133)Ba as a calibration surrogate for (131)I. For the Capintec calibrators, the (133)Ba response was a factor of about 300% higher than that of the same amount of (131)I. For the Vinten 671, the Ba-133 response was about 7% higher than that of (131)I. These results demonstrate that (133)Ba is a poor surrogate for (131)I. New calibration factors for these radionuclides in the ampoule geometry for the Vinten 671 and Capintec activity calibrators were also determined. Published by Elsevier Ltd.