Disadvantages for Iodine-131 and Americium-241

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Does anybody know any disadvantages for these 2 radioisotopes? Thanks.

[pman]

Iodine can adversly effect the body it is injected into! do cobalt 60 has muh easier to find disadvanteges

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Originally Posted by pman

Iodine can adversly effect the body it is injected into! do cobalt 60 has muh easier to find disadvanteges

Thanks pman. Is that it for iodine? And ugh, I've learnt quite a bit on Americium-241. Can you give me the advantages and disadvantages to Cobalt-60 instead then (to cram and rote learn).

This is all I know for both isotopes off the top of my head (for a 7 marker evaluate):

Radioisotopes are radioactive elements that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons. These radioisotopes have both benefits and problems in industry and medicine.

- Iodine-131 contributes positively to the human society.
- It is used in thyroid imaging for the thyroid gland.
- Targets cancer cells.
- Consists of a half life of 8 days, which is positive so harmful beta radiation does not harm the human body.
- Involved in beta decay:
(Insert equation here with electron emitted).

- Americium-241 contributes positively to our household.
- Used in smoke alarms.
- Involved in alpha decay, where a helium nucleus is emitted
(insert equation here)
- Has a half life of 7370 days, which is economically positive for smoke alarms.

Hence, radioisootpes are useful in industry and medicine, but the usage of nuclear energy may cause determimental effects to the environment. Thus, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Disadvantages are weak Thx.

[emmcyclopedia]

Hey, I studied Americium-241 too. Don't bother learning another one now! Here's the points that I referred to:

DISADVANTAGES
Safety concerns -
Inhalation/ingestion causes adverse health effects. The settling of Am-241 on skeletal structures or the liver may impair the production of red blood cells, and also cause potentially fatal cancers.

Environmental concerns -
Am-241 escapes industrial sites as an oxide. Biological processes allow for this oxide to become water-soluble. Increased solubility may lead to contamination of water supplies, bio-accumulation, cancer in fauna, and growth defects in surrounding flora.

Hope that helps! My advice would be don't bother route learning this (or anything for that matter...) off-by-heart. Just know the general points - it will allow you to adapt more to the question, and ultimately places less stress on your brain!


...F@#k this study is boring though aye! Good luck mate =]

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americium, if ingested concentates in the bones and causes cellular damage.

-thats bad

[harry4]

do you have to know adv./dis. for specific radioisotopes?

i thought it was just in general

if not what are the advantages and disadbantages of cobalt 60 and technetium 99m