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Benefits & Dangers of: Radioisotopes

Explore the applications and implications of radioisotopes in dating, tracing, industrial uses, medical treatments, and nuclear power. Learn about how radioisotopes help determine substance ages, track material paths, treat diseases, and power nuclear plants. Discover the significance of radioisotopes in various fields, from deciphering reaction mechanisms to aiding in cancer diagnosis and treatment, while considering the environmental risks and challenges in managing radioactive waste.

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Benefits & Dangers of: Radioisotopes

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  1. Benefits & Dangers of: Radioisotopes

  2. Dating (not that kind) C-14 is used to date organic (previously living) materials Living organisms incorporate C-14 into their structure, along with C-12 C-14 decays with a known half-life 14C 14N + 0 comparing amounts of C-14 & C-12 can figure how many half-lives have gone by since it died Helps determine age of substance -1 6 7

  3. ROCKS U-238 decays to Pb-206 (many steps) Over time: amount of U  and amount of Pb  Scientists use the ratio of U-238 to Pb-206 to date rocks

  4. Chemical Tracers Able to detect radioactive materials and their decay products Tracer = any radioisotope used to follow the path of material in a system P-31 used to determine P uptake in a plant C-14 used to map C in metabolic processes C-14 used to map organic molecules and figure out reaction mechanisms

  5. Industrial Applications Kill bacteria and spores in food and mail

  6. Medical Use radioisotopes with short half-lives that are quickly eliminated from the body Tracers used for: medical diagnosis Treatment of cancer I-131: Diagnosis & treatment of thyroid disorders Co-60: gamma emitter Used to kill cancerous tumors

  7. Medical Co-60 and Cs-137 used to destroy anthrax bacilli Co-60 used to kill bacteria in foods Tc-99 treatment of brain cancer

  8. Nuclear Power Plants Used as a fuel source to generate electricity No contributions to greenhouse gases No mercury contamination of atmosphere

  9. Radiation Risks Can damage normal tissue Can cause mutations in DNA High doses can cause illness & death Disposal of radioactive waste is difficult Fuel rods are a mix of many substances Storage & transportation both problematic

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