Life-cycle cost of a radium storage and processing facility

Abstract

This report presents the results of a study to determine the life-cycle cost of a radium storage and processing facility with respect to cost control, design control, cost reduction, radium supply and demand, disposal alternatives, and economic viability. The following recommendations were made: 1. The study should be refined so that one function exists for each cost estimating relationship, and costs could be controlled functionally. 2. The life-cycle model should be modified and used for tradeoff studies of alternatives for radium storage. 3. Operations and maintenance offer the greatest opportunity for cost controL Particular attention should be given to studying radium processing. 4. A systems dynamics study should explore relationships including supply and demand of radium and the desired mix of derived isotopes. 5. Studies should explore how this facility should be made economically attractive for radium custodians in contrast to present means of disposal. Consideration should be given to recycling byproducts such as platinum. 6. The entire field of alpha-particle emitters deserves a life-cycle study from the production of raw material to the use of the material in medicine. Such a study would help define the facility mission. Besides providing the above recommendations, the life-cycle study showed that successful application of alpha-particle emitters to one type of cancer could make the project economic. Further opportunities for life-cycle cost studies of the project abound