Zirconium-89 is employed in specialized diagnostic applications using positron emission tomography[11] imaging, for example, with zirconium-89 labeled antibodies (immuno-PET).
93Zr is a radioisotope of zirconium with a half-life of 1.53 million years, decaying through emission of a low-energy beta particle.
Indeed, one of the primary reasons for using zirconium in fuel rod cladding is its low cross section.
Alternatively, if the effect on the neutron economy of 93Zr's higher cross section is deemed acceptable, irradiated cladding and fission product Zirconium (which are mixed together in most current nuclear reprocessing methods) could be used to form new zircalloy cladding.
Once the cladding is inside the reactor, the relatively low level radioactivity can be tolerated, but transport and manufacturing might require special precautions.