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Chapter 19: Problem 58

Consider the following information: i. The layer of dead skin on our bodies is sufficient to protect us from most \(\alpha\) -particle radiation. ii. Plutonium is an \(\alpha\) -particle producer. iii. The chemistry of \(\mathrm{Pu}^{4+}\) is similar to that of \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}\). iv. Pu oxidizes readily to \(\mathrm{Pu}^{4+}\). Why is plutonium one of the most toxic substances known?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Plutonium is one of the most toxic substances known due to its ability to imitate iron in our body after oxidizing to Pu⁴⁺, despite the protective layer of dead skin stopping most α-particle radiation. When ingested, inhaled, or entering through a wound, plutonium can be absorbed by our cells and tissues, where it emits α-particle radiation from within, causing significant cellular and tissue damage. Its chemical similarity to Fe³⁺ and easy oxidation to Pu⁴⁺ increases its likelihood of being absorbed by our body.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding α-particle radiation protection by dead skin

Our body's outer layer of dead skin cells is capable of stopping most α-particle radiation. This means that when α-particle radiation interacts with our skin, it doesn't penetrate and cause significant damage to our tissues and organs.
02

Linking Plutonium with α-particle production

As an α-particle producer, plutonium emits α-particles when it undergoes radioactive decay. According to the given information, our skin should protect us from most α-particle radiation, limiting the potential harm solely by the emission of α-particles.
03

Analyzing the chemical similarity between Pu⁴⁺ and Fe³⁺

It is stated that the chemistry of Pu⁴⁺ is similar to that of Fe³⁺. This suggests that plutonium could imitate the behavior of iron in our bodies, allowing it to be taken up by cells and tissues that otherwise would absorb iron ions (Fe³⁺). This means that if plutonium is ingested, inhaled, or enters the body through a wound, it can potentially replace iron in certain biological pathways.
04

Considering the effect of Pu⁴⁺ oxidation

Plutonium oxidizes readily to Pu⁴⁺. Since Pu⁴⁺ shares chemical similarities with Fe³⁺, this oxidation increases the likelihood of plutonium imitating iron within our body and getting absorbed by our cells.
05

Determining why plutonium is highly toxic

From our analysis, we can conclude that despite the protective layer of dead skin stopping most α-particle radiation, plutonium's high toxicity comes from its ability to imitate iron in our body due to its chemical similarity after oxidizing to Pu⁴⁺. When plutonium enters our body through ingestion, inhalation, or wounds, it can be absorbed by our cells and tissues, emitting α-particle radiation from within, causing significant damage to our cells, tissues, and organs. This characteristic is what makes plutonium one of the most toxic substances known.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Radioactive copper-64 decays with a half-life of \(12.8\) days. a. What is the value of \(k\) in \(\mathrm{s}^{-1}\) ? b. A sample contains \(28.0 \mathrm{mg}^{64} \mathrm{Cu}\). How many decay events will be produced in the first second? Assume the atomic mass of \({ }^{64} \mathrm{Cu}\) is \(64.0 \mathrm{u}\). c. A chemist obtains a fresh sample of \({ }^{64} \mathrm{Cu}\) and measures its radioactivity. She then determines that to do an experiment, the radioactivity cannot fall below \(25 \%\) of the initial measured value. How long does she have to do the experiment?

Why are the observed energy changes for nuclear processes so much larger than the energy changes for chemical and physical processes?

Write an equation describing the radioactive decay of each of the following nuclides. (The particle produced is shown in parentheses, except for electron capture, where an electron is a reactant.) a. \({ }_{1}^{3} \mathrm{H}(\beta)\) b. \({ }_{3}^{8} \mathrm{Li}(\beta\) followed by \(\alpha\) ) c. \({ }_{4}^{7}\) Be (electron capture) d. \({ }_{5}^{8}\) B (positron)

Which do you think would be the greater health hazard: the release of a radioactive nuclide of \(\mathrm{Sr}\) 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?

A chemist studied the reaction mechanism for the reaction $$ 2 \mathrm{NO}(g)+\mathrm{O}_{2}(g) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{NO}_{2}(g) $$ by reacting \(\mathrm{N}^{16} \mathrm{O}\) with \({ }^{18} \mathrm{O}_{2}\). If the reaction mechanism is $$ \begin{aligned} \mathrm{NO}+\mathrm{O}_{2} & \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{NO}_{3}(\text { fast equilibrium }) \\ \mathrm{NO}_{3}+\mathrm{NO} \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{NO}_{2}(\text { slow }) \end{aligned} $$ what distribution of \({ }^{18} \mathrm{O}\) would you expect in the \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\) ? Assume that \(\mathrm{N}\) is the central atom in \(\mathrm{NO}_{3}\), assume only \(\mathrm{N}^{16} \mathrm{O}^{18} \mathrm{O}_{2}\) forms, and assume stoichiometric amounts of reactants are combined.
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