Question

Objectives

To become familiar with the uses of Radioisotopes through use of the Internet.

To be able to use your knowledge and understanding of radioisotopes to contribute to the discussion board.

Background

According to our textbook, “radioisotopes are powerful tools for studying processes in biochemistry, medicine, material science, environmental studies and many other scientific and industrial fields.”

Below is a list of radioisotopes and their half-lives. You will be choosing one of these radioisotopes to explore in more detail.

Assignment

Choose one of the radioisotopes from the list or find a radioisotope that is not on the list but interests you.

Using your book and Internet resources, find five interesting pieces of information on the radioisotope you selected. Suggested pieces of information may include:

How is the radioisotope formed in nature (type of decay)?

Risks associated with the radioisotope

Number of subatomic nucleons present

Stability of the radioisotope

How this radioisotope is used.

Is the radioisotope used as a medical tracer? If yes, for what body part or process? Briefly explain.

(These are just a few suggestions. See if you can find other interesting facts.)

Remember to site your sources in APA style.

Respond to at least two other students.

Contribute to an ongoing discussion by responding to comments made to your posting or to comments made by other students to other postings.

Radioisotopes (half-life indicated)

Molybdenum-99 (66 h)

Technetium-99m (6 h)

Bismuth-213 (46 min)

Chromium-51 (28 d)

Cobalt-60 (10.5 mth)

Copper-64 (13 h

Dysprosium-165 (2 h

Erbium-169 (9.4 d)

Holmium-166 (26 h)

Iodine-125 (60 d)

Iridium-192 (74 d)

Iron-59 (46 d)

Lutetium-177 (6.7 d)

Palladium-103 (17 d)

Phosphorus-32 (14 d)

Potassium-42 (12 h)

Rhenium-186 (3.8 d)

Rhenium-188 (17 h)

Samarium-153 (47 h)

Selenium-75 (120 d)

Sodium-24 (15 h)

Strontium-89 (50 d)

Xenon-133 (5 d)

Ytterbium-169 (32 d)

Yttrium-90 (64 h)

Carbon-11 (20 m)

Nitrogen-13 (~10 m)

Oxygen-15 (~2 m)

Fluorine-18 (20 m)

Cobalt-57 (272 d)

Gallium-67 (78 h)

Indium-111 (2.8 d)

Iodine-123 (13 h)

Rubidium-82 (65 h)

Strontium-92 (25 d)

Thallium-201 (73 h)

Answer 1

Chromium-51 (28 d)

• Chromium-51 (28 d) is a radioactive isotope of chromium with a half life of 28 days i.e. after 28 days, the half of the initial amount of the isotope gets decomposed by electron capture or emitting gamma radiations with a maximum energy of 0.320 MeV.
• It is obtained f by neutron bombardment of Chromium.
• The subatomic nucleus of chromium 51 consist of 24 protons and 27 neutrons
• Only those nucleus are highy stable for which Neutron to proton ratio is one i.e. N/P= 1. But for chromium 51, N/P= 27/24 = 1.125 hence it is unstable.
• Chromium 51 (parent nuclei) is unstable and to attain stability it decays to become Vanadium 51 ( the daughter nuclei) by electron capture.
• Chromium 51 bind to plasma protein and red blood cellsin the blood easily. So it can be used for measurement of blood volume by lebelling red blood cells and measuring the gamma radiation emitted by the Chromium 51 using Gamma counter. It can be used to find number of red blood cells present in a person's body with anemia or other hematologic disorders. It is also used to measure protein loss in the stomach.
• It can also be used for sequestration studies and for the gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosis
• chromium 51 is suitable for red cell survival and recovery studies due to its long radioactive half-life of 28 days.
• The Gamma rays being emitted from chromium 51 could be fatal and can be harmful to the environment due to toxic waste.
• Both external and internal exposure of chromium 51 is hazardous. Internal exposure leads to deposition of insoluble compounds in the lungs.
• Lead foils or lead bricks are best to sheild gamma radiations from chromium 51 thus it must be stored in lead containers.