Human Produced Radionuclides
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Humans have used radioactivity for one hundred years, and through its use, added to the natural inventories. The amounts are small compared to the natural amounts discussed above, and due to the shorter half-lives of many of the nuclides, have seen a marked decrease since the halting of above-ground testing of nuclear weapons. Here are a few human produced or enhanced nuclides:
Human Produced Nuclides | |||
Nuclide |
Symbol |
Half-life |
Source |
Tritium |
3H |
12.3 a |
Produced from weapons testing and fission reactors; reprocessing facilities, nuclear weapons manufacturing |
Iodine 131 |
131I |
8.04 days |
Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors, used in medical treatment of thyroid problems |
Iodine 129 |
129I |
1.57 |
107 yr Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors |
Cesium 137 |
137Cs |
30.17 yr |
Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors |
Strontium 90 |
90Sr |
28.78 yr |
Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors |
Technetium 99 |
99Tc |
2.11 |
105 yr Decay product of 99Mo, used in medical diagnosis |
Plutonium 239 |
239Pu |
2.41 |
104 yr Produced by neutron bombardment of 238U ( 238U + n 239U 239Np +ß- 239Pu+ß-) |