Difference between revisions of "Human Produced Radionuclides"

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Return to [[Naturally Occuring Radioactivity - NORM and TENORM]]
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Written and developed by [http://www.mn.uio.no/kjemi/personer/vit/torbjor/index.html Prof. Tor Bjørnstad] (IFE/UiO) 
  
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:<br>
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Return to [[Naturally Occuring Radioactivity - NORM and TENORM]]
  
  
 +
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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:<br>
  
 
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| align="center" colspan="4" | Human Produced Nuclides<br>
 
| align="center" colspan="4" | Human Produced Nuclides<br>
 
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| Nuclide<br>
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| Nuclide<br>  
| Symbol<br>
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| Symbol<br>  
| Half-life&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>
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| Half-life&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>  
 
| Source<br>
 
| Source<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Tritium<br>
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| Tritium<br>  
| <sup>3</sup>H<br>
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| <sup>3</sup>H<br>  
| 12.3 a<br>
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| 12.3 a<br>  
 
| Produced from weapons testing and fission reactors; reprocessing facilities, nuclear weapons manufacturing<br>
 
| Produced from weapons testing and fission reactors; reprocessing facilities, nuclear weapons manufacturing<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Iodine 131<br>
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| Iodine 131<br>  
| <sup>131</sup>I<br>
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| <sup>131</sup>I<br>  
| 8.04 days<br>
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| 8.04 days<br>  
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors, used in medical treatment of thyroid problems<br>
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors, used in medical treatment of thyroid problems<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Iodine 129<br>
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| Iodine 129<br>  
| <sup>129</sup>I<br>
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| <sup>129</sup>I<br>  
| 1.57&nbsp;<math>\cdot</math> 10<sup>7</sup> yr<br>
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| 1.57&nbsp;<math>\cdot</math> 10<sup>7</sup> yr<br>  
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors<br>
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Cesium 137<br>
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| Cesium 137<br>  
| <sup>137</sup>Cs<br>
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| <sup>137</sup>Cs<br>  
| 30.17 yr<br>
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| 30.17 yr<br>  
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors<br>
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Strontium 90<br>
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| Strontium 90<br>  
| <sup>90</sup>Sr<br>
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| <sup>90</sup>Sr<br>  
| 28.78 yr<br>
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| 28.78 yr<br>  
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors<br>
 
| Fission product produced from weapons testing and fission reactors<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Technetium 99<br>
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| Technetium 99<br>  
| <sup>99</sup>Tc<br>
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| <sup>99</sup>Tc<br>  
| 2.11&nbsp;<math>\cdot</math> 10<sup>5</sup> yr<br>
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| 2.11&nbsp;<math>\cdot</math> 10<sup>5</sup> yr<br>  
 
| Decay product of 99Mo, used in medical diagnosis<br>
 
| Decay product of 99Mo, used in medical diagnosis<br>
 
|-
 
|-
| Plutonium 239<br>
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| Plutonium 239<br>  
| <sup>239</sup>Pu<br>
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| <sup>239</sup>Pu<br>  
| 2.41&nbsp;<math>\cdot</math> 10<sup>4</sup> yr<br>
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| 2.41&nbsp;<math>\cdot</math> 10<sup>4</sup> yr<br>  
 
| Produced by neutron bombardment of <sup>238</sup>U <br>( <sup>238</sup>U + n <math>\rightarrow</math><sup>239</sup>U<math>\rightarrow</math> <sup>239</sup>Np +ß<sup>-</sup> <math>\rightarrow</math><sup>239</sup>Pu+ß<sup>-</sup>) <br><br>
 
| Produced by neutron bombardment of <sup>238</sup>U <br>( <sup>238</sup>U + n <math>\rightarrow</math><sup>239</sup>U<math>\rightarrow</math> <sup>239</sup>Np +ß<sup>-</sup> <math>\rightarrow</math><sup>239</sup>Pu+ß<sup>-</sup>) <br><br>
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
<br>
 
<br>

Revision as of 14:09, 20 June 2012

Written and developed by Prof. Tor Bjørnstad (IFE/UiO) 

Return to Naturally Occuring Radioactivity - NORM and TENORM


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 [math]\cdot[/math] 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 [math]\cdot[/math] 105 yr
Decay product of 99Mo, used in medical diagnosis
Plutonium 239
239Pu
2.41 [math]\cdot[/math] 104 yr
Produced by neutron bombardment of 238U
( 238U + n [math]\rightarrow[/math]239U[math]\rightarrow[/math] 239Np +ß- [math]\rightarrow[/math]239Pu+ß-)