What is the decay constant of cesium-137?
Cs decays with a half-life of (30.05 ± 0.08) years [4] to either the 137Ba ground state, with emission of a β particle (Q = 1176 keV, 5.3%), or to 137mBa (Q = 514 keV, 94.7%) which rapidly (t1/2 = 2.552 min) decays to the 137Ba ground state with emission of a 661.7 keV γ photon.
What is the decay mode emitted from Cs-137?
Cesium-137 decays in the environment by emitting beta particles. As noted above, cesium-137 decays to a short lived decay product, barium-137m. The latter isotope emits gamma radiation of moderate energy, which further decays to a stable form of barium.
What does Caesium 137 do to the body?
External exposure to large amounts of Cs-137 can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, and even death. Exposure to Cs-137 can increase the risk for cancer because of exposure to high-energy gamma radiation.
How long does it take for cesium-137 to decay?
about 30.17 years
Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years. About 94.6% decays by beta emission to a metastable nuclear isomer of barium: barium-137m (137mBa, Ba-137m).
Can you touch cesium?
If you were to breathe, eat, drink, touch, or come close to large amounts of radioactive cesium, cells in your body could become damaged from the radiation that might penetrate your entire body, much like x-rays, even if you did not touch the radioactive cesium.
What type of radiation is cesium 137?
gamma rays
A Cs-137 atom emits radiation in the form of medium energy gamma rays, and to a lesser extent, high-energy beta particles, which disrupt molecules in cells and deposits energy in tissues, causing damage.
Which radioactive emission has the greatest penetrating power but the least ionizing power?
Gamma rays
Gamma rays may pass all the way through a human body without striking anything. They are considered to have the least ionizing power and the greatest penetration power. The safest amount of radiation to the human body is zero.
Why is barium 137 Safe?
This Cs-137/Ba-137m Isotope Generator is used to demonstrate the properties of radioactive decay. Approximately 30 minutes after elution, the residual activity of the Ba-137m sample has decayed to less than one thousandth of its initial activity, making it safe for disposal.
What type of radiation is cesium-137?
Can cesium be weaponized?
‘The amount of cesium in one of these irradiators is enough to contaminate and create widespread panic over an extremely large area if dispersed by a terrorist. A dirty bomb packed with cesium would not kill large numbers of people.
How do you remove cesium from your body?
Exposure to stable cesium is not considered to be a major public health threat since it is mildly poisonous and has limited use. However, medical providers may prescribe a compound called Prussian blue, which can remove stable cesium from the body in waste matter. In most cases, cesium leaves the body in urine.
What happens to strontium 90 when it decays?
Strontium- 90 decays to yttrium-90, which in turn decays to stable zirconium. The isotopes of strontium and yttrium emit beta particles as they decay. The release of radiation during this decay process causes concern about the safety of strontium and all other radioactive substances.
How long does strontium-82 last in a generator?
Strontium (Sr-82) ChlorideHalf-Life: 25.55 days STRONTIUM-82 RADIOCHEMICAL STRONTIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTION Strontium-82 is used exclusively to manufacture rubidium-82 generators. The generator system makes rubidium-82; the most convenient Positron Emission Tomography (PET) agent in myocardial perfusion imaging.
How does Cesium 137 decay in the environment?
Cesium-137 decays in the environment by emitting beta particles. As noted above, cesium-137 decays to a short lived decay product, barium-137m. The latter isotope emits gamma radiation of moderate energy, which further decays to a stable form of barium.
Where can I find the chemical element strontium?
Please visit the Strontium element page for information specific to the chemical element of the periodic table. More… Unless otherwise noted, the contents of the FDA website (www.fda.gov), both text and graphics, are not copyrighted.