radioactive sodium

radioactive sodium

Any of the radioactive isotopes of sodium, the most stable of which is positron-emitting 22Na, which has a half-life of 2.6 years. 22Na can be produced in a particle accelerator and may be used in nuclear medicine imaging and positron emission tomography (PET). 24Na has a 15-hour half life, quantification of which is used to determine the absorbed radiation dose of a patient exposed to intense neutron flux.