We investigated the use of a kind of zeolite, the Bowie chabazite, to produce radioactive sources of different shapes, dimensions and activity concentrations that can be used for lesion simulation in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) uptake of a group of 12 zeolites was studied as a function of their weight (120-1,520 mg) and of the activity concentration of the (18)F-FDG solution (1-37 MBq ml(-1)), using a multiple linear regression model. The reproducibility, homogeneity and stability over time of the (18)F-FDG uptake were assessed. The fit of the regression model is good (r(2) = 0.83). This relation allows the production of zeolites of a desired (18)F-FDG activity using knowledge of the concentration of the soaking solution and the weight of the zeolite. The reproducibility of the (18)F-FDG uptake after heating the zeolites is elevated (CV% = 3.68). The almost complete regeneration of the zeolites allows us to reuse them in successive experiments. The stability of the (18)F-FDG uptake on zeolites is far from ideal. When placed in a saline solution the 'activated' zeolites release the (18)F-FDG with an effective half-time of 53 min. The sealing of the zeolites in plastic film bags has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing any release of (18)F-FDG. These features, together with their variable dimensions and shapes, make them ideal (18)F-FDG sources with a fixed target-to-background ratio that can be placed anywhere in a phantom to study lesion detectability in PET imaging.