What is Ni-63 and why is it regulated?

Nickel-63 is a low-energy radioactive isotope. It is used as the ionisation source inside Electron Capture Detectors, which are a common detector type in gas chromatography. The ECD uses the radiation from the Ni-63 source to ionise the carrier gas inside the detector cell. When compounds containing electronegative groups (such as halogens) pass through, they capture some of those electrons, reducing the current. That change in current is the detector signal.

Why it is regulated

Because Ni-63 is a radioactive material, its use, storage, transport, and disposal are governed by radiation safety legislation. The specifics vary by country, but the principle is consistent: any laboratory holding an ECD with a Ni-63 source has legal obligations around that source.

Those obligations typically include registering the source with the relevant national authority, conducting periodic wipe tests to check for surface contamination, maintaining records of testing and source condition, and disposing of the source through a licensed route when it is no longer needed.

What this means in practice

If you have an ECD in your laboratory, you need to know when it was last wipe tested and when the next test is due. If you have an ECD that is no longer in use, you cannot simply store it indefinitely or dispose of it through normal waste routes. Both situations have specific regulatory requirements.

Ellutia is a registered laboratory qualified to handle and analyse radioactive materials. We provide wipe test kits for routine compliance testing and a licensed ECD disposal service for detectors that are no longer needed.

Not sure about your obligations? Get in touch and we can advise based on your situation.