Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 21: Problem 61

After the Chernobyl accident, people living close to the nuclear reactor site were urged to take large amounts of potassium iodide as a safety precaution. What is the chemical basis for this action?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The chemical basis for the ingestion of potassium iodide after a nuclear accident is to saturate the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodide. This limits the amount of harmful radioactive iodine that can be absorbed by the gland, thereby reducing the risk of thyroid cancer.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding The Role of Potassium Iodide

Potassium iodide (KI) has an important role in countering radioactive exposure, especially from radioactive iodine. Radioactive iodine (I-131) is often released in nuclear accidents like Chernobyl. It is a harmful substance and when ingested or inhaled can be absorbed by the thyroid gland, causing damage and increasing the risk of thyroid cancer later.
02

Activation of Potassium Iodide

Potassium iodide works by filling up and saturating the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodide, reducing the absorption of the harmful radioactive iodine. After the ingestion of potassium iodide, the thyroid gland becomes 'full' and cannot absorb more iodine, be it harmful or beneficial, for a period of time.
03

Overview of The Chemical Basis

The chemical basis of this action is the competitive inhibition of the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. When larger amount of non-radioactive iodide (from KI) is present, it competes with radioactive iodine for uptake by the thyroid gland, thereby providing a protective effect.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

A radioactive substance undergoes decay as: $$ \begin{array}{cc} \text { Time (days) } & \text { Mass (g) } \\ \hline 0 & 500 \\ 1 & 389 \\ 2 & 303 \\ 3 & 236 \\ 4 & 184 \\ 5 & 143 \\ 6 & 112 \end{array} $$ Calculate the first-order decay constant and the halflife of the reaction.

Why is it preferable to use nuclear binding energy per nucleon for a comparison of the stabilities of different nuclei?

How is nuclear transmutation achieved in practice?

The constituents of wine contain, among others, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. A bottle of wine was sealed about 6 yr ago. To confirm its age, which of the isotopes would you choose in a radioactive dating study? The half-lives of the isotopes are: \({ }^{14} \mathrm{C}: 5730 \mathrm{yr}\) \({ }^{15} \mathrm{O}: 124 \mathrm{~s} ;{ }^{3} \mathrm{H}: 12.5 \mathrm{yr}\). Assume that the activities of the isotopes were known at the time the bottle was sealed.

Why is strontium-90 a particularly dangerous isotope for humans?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free