Kinniken
Riding with William
I guess at least part of the answer is gamma rays, but that's all I can think of. Can we stop the questions requiring a degree in physic please? 
Science Quiz
- Thread starter #1 Person
- Start date
#1 Person
The Cow
Alpha and Bata (Spelled that one wrong) particals.
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
A bit more clarification, each of the two are fission products from the fission bomb. They are "indicator" radionuclides because each represents the highest radiotoxicity for short term and long term biological hazards to humans (from ionizing radiation inside the body) from the environment contaminated by the radioactive fallout.
BTW radionuclides are sometimes loosely called "radioisotopes" which should really be a comparative term eg C-14 is a radioisotope of carbon.
I'll leave this for a little while for late takers.
BTW radionuclides are sometimes loosely called "radioisotopes" which should really be a comparative term eg C-14 is a radioisotope of carbon.
I'll leave this for a little while for late takers.
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
There have been complaints by the purist science people here that questions have veered from science to "history of science". Still this is not pure physics (which is outside my domain of competence) but "health physics"Originally posted by Kinniken
I guess at least part of the answer is gamma rays, but that's all I can think of. Can we stop the questions requiring a degree in physic please?
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
@betazed
You got one right - bear in mind the two categories of hazards, short term as well as long term. The second most lethal long term hazard would not necessarily be the most lethal short term one - now here's a giveaway!
You got one right - bear in mind the two categories of hazards, short term as well as long term. The second most lethal long term hazard would not necessarily be the most lethal short term one - now here's a giveaway!
Perfection
The Great Head.
Umm, since this is one page two, I'll ressurect it with this this question:
What is battery acid, and why do they use it instead of something else?
What is battery acid, and why do they use it instead of something else?
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
The health physics question is still to be answered - betazed's on the trail.
Perfection
The Great Head.
Oh you mean that one has a half life much longer then the other?
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
Only one quarter of the questions have been answered.
One more radionuclide is required.
One reason each for why they are indicator radionuclides for short term and long term radiation hazards from fallout.
One more radionuclide is required.
One reason each for why they are indicator radionuclides for short term and long term radiation hazards from fallout.
betazed
Seeking...
- Joined
- May 9, 2003
- Messages
- 5,224
Ok. So I did a bit more research and the following is my best guess.
The only other radionuclide that has a halflife somewhat equal to the human life and is the result of alpha-decay (fission bomb) and thus can pose as a long term danger are the isotopes of Plutonium. Pu-238 seems to be the most common one. Is that right?
{This is the result of about an hour of intensive reading on the web.
In the process I learned a lot }
The only other radionuclide that has a halflife somewhat equal to the human life and is the result of alpha-decay (fission bomb) and thus can pose as a long term danger are the isotopes of Plutonium. Pu-238 seems to be the most common one. Is that right?
{This is the result of about an hour of intensive reading on the web.
In the process I learned a lot }
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
@betazed
Full marks for trying and spoken like a true scientist
.
Your focus has still been on the long-term most radiotoxic radionuclides. For the short term hazards think of a shorter-lived fission product with a major acute radiation dosage to a small organ (dosage being inversely proportional to target organ mass). BTW children are particularly at risk and health authorities have stockpiled the antidote for this radionulide in the form of tablets for oral administration.
Full marks for trying and spoken like a true scientist
.Your focus has still been on the long-term most radiotoxic radionuclides. For the short term hazards think of a shorter-lived fission product with a major acute radiation dosage to a small organ (dosage being inversely proportional to target organ mass). BTW children are particularly at risk and health authorities have stockpiled the antidote for this radionulide in the form of tablets for oral administration.
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
Bravo, I-131 it is
Now the whys - actually much have been divulged already!
Now the whys - actually much have been divulged already!
Iodine is absorbed in the pituary gland iirc. Causes thyroid problems?
battery acid is dilute sulphuric acid - used in conjunction with lead plates to generate an emf.
battery acid is dilute sulphuric acid - used in conjunction with lead plates to generate an emf.
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
More direct than that. It's absorbed by the thyroid gland and thus causes thyroid problems, even cancer in high enough doses.
So what is the antidote?
Perfection
The Great Head.
I was looking for a bit more of an explianation col, but go ahead and come up with some horrendous physics question.
Achinz
Hermit of Huangshan
@Renata: basically correct in fact they are potassium iodide tablets.
The principle of action is based on "isotope dilution". The thyroid can't distinguish between common iodine and I-131 and by saturation of the gland the uptake of the radioisotope is minimised.
So only one why left for strontium-90.
The principle of action is based on "isotope dilution". The thyroid can't distinguish between common iodine and I-131 and by saturation of the gland the uptake of the radioisotope is minimised.
So only one why left for strontium-90.
Maj
Emperor
Strontium-90 mimics calcium and gets into the bones, adversely affecting red and white blood cell production.
Similar threads
