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Chapter 19: Problem 63

Which do you think would be the greater health hazard: the release of a radioactive nuclide of Sr or a radioactive nuclide of Xe into the environment? Assume the amount of radioactivity is the same in each case. Explain your answer on the basis of the chemical properties of Sr and Xe. Why are the chemical properties of a radioactive substance important in assessing its potential health hazards?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The release of a radioactive nuclide of Strontium (Sr) into the environment would be a greater health hazard compared to Xenon (Xe) due to its chemical properties. Sr, a chemically reactive alkaline earth metal, tends to form compounds and accumulate in the human body, especially in bones, leading to long-term health effects like bone cancer and leukemia. In contrast, Xe, a noble gas with very low chemical reactivity, does not readily form compounds or accumulate in the body, reducing potential health hazards. The chemical properties of radioactive substances are crucial for assessing health hazards as they determine the behavior and interaction of the substance with biological systems.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the chemical properties of Strontium (Sr) and Xenon (Xe)

First, let's examine the chemical properties of Sr and Xe. Strontium is an alkaline earth metal and is chemically reactive, while Xenon is a noble gas and has very low chemical reactivity. Strontium forms compounds with other elements and tends to accumulate in the human body, especially in bones. In contrast, Xenon does not readily form compounds and does not accumulate in the body.
02

Determining the health hazard from radioactive Strontium (Sr)

Because Strontium is chemically reactive and forms compounds, it can accumulate in the human body when ingested or inhaled, replacing Calcium in bones. This accumulation of radioactive Strontium in bones can lead to bone cancer, leukemia, or other health issues over time. Thus, the release of a radioactive nuclide of Sr into the environment can pose a significant health hazard to people.
03

Determining the health hazard from radioactive Xenon (Xe)

Xenon is a noble gas and has very low chemical reactivity. This means that it does not readily form compounds and does not accumulate in the human body. When inhaled or ingested, Xenon is quickly expelled from the body, reducing the possible exposure to radioactivity. Therefore, the release of a radioactive nuclide of Xe into the environment would present a relatively lesser health hazard compared to Sr.
04

Comparing the health hazards of Strontium (Sr) and Xenon (Xe)

Comparing the health hazards of radioactive Strontium and radioactive Xenon, we can conclude that the release of radioactive Strontium into the environment poses a greater health risk than radioactive Xenon. This is mainly due to the chemical reactivity of Strontium and its ability to replace Calcium in bones, leading to accumulation and long-term health effects.
05

Explaining the importance of chemical properties in assessing health hazards

The chemical properties of a radioactive substance are crucial in assessing its potential health hazards because they determine the behavior and interaction of the substance with biological systems. For instance, a chemically reactive radioactive substance, like Strontium, can form compounds, accumulate in the body, and lead to long-term health effects. On the other hand, non-reactive radioactive substances, like Xenon, do not readily accumulate in the body, reducing the potential health hazards. Therefore, understanding the chemical properties of a radioactive substance helps us to assess its potential effects on human health and the environment.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Technetium- 99 has been used as a radiographic agent in bone scans $(43 \mathrm{Tc} \text { is absorbed by bones). If } 43 \mathrm{Tc} \text { has a half-life of }\( 6.0 hours, what fraction of an administered dose of \)100 . \mu \mathrm{g}\( 43 \)\mathrm{Tc}$ remains in a patient's body after 2.0 days?

Consider the following graph of binding energy per nucleon as a function of mass number a. What does this graph tell us about the relative half-lives of the nuclides? Explain your answer. b. Which nuclide shown is the most thermodynamically stable? Which is the least thermodynamically stable? c. What does this graph tell us about which nuclides undergo fusion and which undergo fission to become more stable? Support your answer.

Estimate the temperature needed to achieve the fusion of deuterium to make an \(\alpha\) particle. The energy required can be estimated from Coulomb's law [use the form \(E=9.0 \times 10^{9}\) \(\left(Q_{1} Q_{2} / r\right),\) using \(Q=1.6 \times 10^{-19} \mathrm{C}\) for a proton, and \(r=2 \times\) \(10^{-15} \mathrm{m}\) for the helium nucleus; the unit for the proportionality constant in Coloumb's law is J \(\cdot \mathrm{m} / \mathrm{C}^{2} ]\)

Many transuranium elements, such as plutonium-232 , have very short half- lives. (For \(^{232} \mathrm{Pu}\) , the half-life is 36 minutes.) However, some, like protactinium- 231 (half-life \(=3.34 \times 10^{4}\) years), have relatively long half-lives. Use the masses given in the following table to calculate the change in energy when 1 mole of \(^{232} \mathrm{Pu}\) nuclei and 1 mole of \(^{231} \mathrm{Pa}\) nuclei are each formed from their respective number of protons and neutrons. (Since the masses of \(^{232} \mathrm{Pu}\) and \(^{231} \mathrm{Pa}\) are atomic masses, they each include the mass of the electrons present. The mass of the nucleus will be the atomic mass minus the mass of the electrons.)

When using a Geiger-Müller counter to measure radioactivity, it is necessary to maintain the same geometrical orientation between the sample and the Geiger-Muller tube to compare different measurements. Why?
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