used to examine buildings and Radioactive waste the products of – machinery for structural faults. radioactive decay are often radioactive Diagnostic purposes example, themselves. The radioactive wastes –For radioactive iodine-131 is similar to produced at nuclear power plants must nonradioactive iodine which be disposed of correctly; otherwise it concentrates in the thyroid gland; and may easily contaminate the surrounding thus iodine-131 used to diagnose thyroid environment as it can spread through disease. wind, groundwater and organisms. For Radiation therapy Radioactive this reason, waste is often stored – isotopes can be used to treat many underground in stable, geological forms of cancer, however, the ionising structures. radiation source must be carefully Chemical similarities radioactive – administered to minimise isotopes often have the same chemical damage/exposure to surrounding tissue properties as non-radioactive isotopes. This could pose health problems; for example, Strontium-90 could bio accumulate in bones (due to its chemical similarity with calcium) and radiate surrounding tissue potentially leading – to cancer.
used to examine buildings and machinery for structural faults. Diagnostic purposes –For example, radioactive iodine-131 is similar to nonradioactive iodine which concentrates in the thyroid gland; and thus iodine-131 used to diagnose thyroid disease. Radiation therapy – Radioactive isotopes can be used to treat many forms of cancer, however, the ionising radiation source must be carefully administered to minimise damage/exposure to surrounding tissue Radioactive waste – the products of radioactive decay are often radioactive themselves. The radioactive wastes produced at nuclear power plants must be disposed of correctly; otherwise it may easily contaminate the surrounding environment as it can spread through wind, groundwater and organisms. For this reason, waste is often stored underground in stable, geological structures. Chemical similarities – radioactive isotopes often have the same chemical properties as non-radioactive isotopes. This could pose health problems; for example, Strontium-90 could bio accumulate in bones (due to its chemical similarity with calcium) and radiate surrounding tissue – potentially leading to cancer.
Chemistry_Notes_-_Production_of_Materials_by_Arthur_Huang.docx