Where is radioactivity used in society

Not only can radiation find tumors within the body, it can also destroy them or slow their growth. Radiation also makes it possible to study matter, plants, and animals in an effort to understand the universe better.

Read on to learn more about the history of misuses and transcendance of radioactivity to modern applications. In , about a year after the discovery of X-rays, Henri Becquerel discovered that uranium spontaneously emits a penetrating radiation that can be registered on a photographic plate. Although fluorescence and phosphorescence were known phenomena, they require an external energy source.

Uranium was radiating all on its own. In , the three scientists shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery. The Curies continued their study of radioactivity and in won a Nobel prize for the discovery of the elements radium and polonium and study of their compounds.

Fascination with this newfound spontaneous radioactivity spread quickly, both inside the lab and commercially. Capitalizing on that popularity, manufacturers incorporated radioactive elements into products for their supposed cosmetic and healing properties and because they made things glow. Some products included chocolate, glow-in-the dark toys and watches! Additionally, brightly colored uranium salts were incorporated into glass and dinner plates until the s, when sales of the radioactive dinnerware dropped.

Radioactivity originates in atomic nuclei, which are held together by strong nuclear force. Because strong force comes from the quarks that make up the nucleons protons and neutrons , more nucleons mean more strong force. But protons are positively charged, and so they repel each other.

Adding more neutrons adds more strong force without adding charge. Thus, heavy elements such as Au are stable despite having a large nucleus. Very large nuclei become unstable and decay into more stable species, releasing radiation as they do. Every element heavier than lead is inherently unstable—and radioactive—as are certain isotopes of lighter elements.

Additionally, many other elements have at least one unstable isotope. Nucleons also pair up, so even numbers are more stable than odd. This is why some light elements think 91 Tc or 3 H are also radioactive.

Mollie had a toothache. The tooth was removed, but her gums never healed and the pain spread. She had more teeth removed, and painful ulcers arose in their place. In May , her doctor reached into her mouth and, to his surprise, was able to lift out her loose, hole-filled jawbone. Mollie Maggia was the first dial painter to die from radium poisoning, though she was not the last.

Cosmic rays are mostly protons, but can be other particles or wave energy. Some ionizing radiation penetrates the earth's atmosphere and becomes absorbed by humans, which results in natural radiation exposure.

The doses due to natural sources of radiation vary depending on location and habits. Regions at higher altitudes receive more cosmic radiation. The following map shows how levels of cosmic radiation vary with elevations above sea level and longitude and latitude in North America. The composition of the earth's crust is a major source of natural radiation.

The main contributors are natural deposits of uranium, potassium and thorium which, in the process of natural decay, release small amounts of ionizing radiation. Traces of these minerals are also found in building materials, so exposure to natural radiation can occur indoors as well as outdoors.

Most of the variation in exposure to natural radiation results from inhalation of radioactive gases that are produced by radioactive minerals found in soil and bedrock. Radon is an odourless and colourless radioactive gas that is produced by the decay of uranium It is an inert gas, meaning that it does not react with surrounding matter. Because radon does not react, it can readily move up through the ground and into the atmosphere..

Thoron is a radioactive gas produced by thorium. Radon and thoron levels vary considerably by location depending on the composition of soil and bedrock. Once released into the air, these gases normally dilute to harmless levels in the atmosphere, but sometimes they become trapped and accumulate inside buildings where they are inhaled by occupants.

Radon gas poses a health risk not only to uranium miners but also to homeowners if it is left to accumulate in the home. On average, it is the largest source of natural radiation exposure.

More information about radon gas and the means to control it can be found on Health Canada's website. Trace amounts of radioactive minerals are naturally found in the contents of food and drinking water.

For instance, vegetables are typically cultivated in soil and ground water which contains radioactive minerals. Once ingested, these minerals result in internal exposure to natural radiation. Naturally occurring radioactive isotopes, such as potassium and carbon, have the same chemical and biological properties as their non-radioactive isotopes. These radioactive and non-radioactive elements are used in building and maintaining our bodies.

Natural radioisotopes continually expose us to radiation. The table below identifies the amount of radioactivity from potassium contained in about grams of different food products. For example, the DOE Isotope Program produces actinium, which is being investigated for use in cancer treatments, as well as berkelium, which was used in the recent discovery of the laboratory-created synthetic element Scientific terms can be confusing. DOE Explains offers straightforward explanations of key words and concepts in fundamental science.

The blue glow at the center of a research reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The glow is created by electrons emitted in radioactive decays in the radioactive core. Although they might be familiar with the use of radiation to diagnose disease and treat cancer, many people, when they hear the terms "radioactive" and "radiation," tend to think of mushroom clouds and the monster mutants that inhabit the world of science fiction movies and comic books.

Careful analyses can identify and quantify the radioactive material in just about anything. This document describes a few of the more commonly encountered and familiar consumer products that can contain sufficient radioactive material for it to be distinguished from background with a simple handheld radiation survey meter.

Most residential smoke detectors contain a low-activity americium source. Alpha particles emitted by the americium ionize the air, making the air conductive. Any smoke particles that enter the unit reduce the current and set off an alarm. Despite the fact that these devices save lives, the question "are smoke detectors safe? The answer, of course, is "yes, they are safe. Modern watches and clocks sometimes use a small quantity of hydrogen-3 tritium or promethium as a source of light.

Older for example, pre watches and clocks used radium as a source of light. If these older timepieces are opened and the dial or hands handled, some of the radium could be picked up and possibly ingested.