Fission products

Q.  Which of the following are generated in nuclear reactors and not available naturally as radioisotopes?

1) Caesium - 137
2) Iodine - 131
3) Radon - 222

- Published on 25 Jul 16

a. 1, 3
b. 1, 2
c. 2, 3
d. All of the above

ANSWER: 1, 2
 
  • Many artificial radionuclides of technological importance are produced as fission products within nuclear reactors. E.g. Caesium – 137, barium - 137m, Iodine – 131, etc.
  • Some radionuclides, for example cobalt-60 and iridium-192, are made by the neutron irradiation of normal non-radioactive cobalt and iridium metal in a nuclear reactor, creating radioactive nuclides of these elements which contain extra neutrons, compared to the original stable nuclides. Sodium-24 is another such example.
  • Many years ago radium-226 and radon-222 sources were used as gamma-ray sources for industrial radiography.
  • Because both radium and radon are very radiotoxic and very expensive due to their natural rarity, these natural radioisotopes have fallen out of use over the last half-century, replaced by artificially created radioisotopes.

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