Why is caesium 137 radioactive

Such exposure happens through presence of the metal in very small amounts in the atmosphere and in the soil. However, accidents like Chernobyl or Fukushima can contaminate water bodies with Cs, and the metal can then be ingested along with food and water.

Very high exposure — an extremely rare occurrence, according to the US Environment Protection Agency — can result in an increased risk of cancer. Cs is used in a variety of measuring instruments in the construction and other industry.

This means that about 80 billion atoms in the substance was decaying every second. ONGC said the substance was encased in a box that had a lead shield to absorb all the gamma rays that were emitted. Unless the box was opened — which was not easy — there was no harm of exposure, the AERB said. Click here to join our channel indianexpress and stay updated with the latest headlines.

Sreenivas Janyala Cesium undergoes high-energy beta decay, primarily to an excited nuclear isomer of Barium , which in turn undergoes gamma decay with a half-life of about seconds.

Despite its prevalence in spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, cesium is actually extremely rare. Its half-life is too short for it to persist from natural fission sources, and on earth it is a synthetic isotope only. Should further nuclear accidents be avoided, the dangers of cesium will eventually cease.

During the Chernobyl explosion, about 27 kg of cesium were expelled into the atmosphere. Particles of the reactor fuel settled densely within about km or their release, and within a 30 km radius of the facility, cesium radioactivity due to ground deposition of fallout particles was over 1.

A thorough account of the entire affair was published by the International Atomic Energy Agency in There, they found a radiation therapy device left behind when the clinic closed. Upon ripping apart the device, the men discovered about 30 g of CsCl. The men were immediately attracted to it because of its glowing blue color.

The owner of a local junkyard purchased the device from the men, and proceeded to show off the CsCl to friends and neighbors.

After several people involved with the looting of the device and the release of the CsCl fell morbidly ill with radiation sickness, Brazilian authorities declared a local state of emergency, and within days, the vast majority of the cesium had been contained. Larger Cs sources are enclosed in lead containers such as long tubes that are closed at each end or small round metal containers. If the lead containers of Cs are opened, the substance inside looks like a white powder and may glow.

Cs from nuclear accidents or atomic bomb explosions cannot be seen and will be present in dust and debris from fallout. Small amounts of Cs are present in the environment from weapons testing in the s and s, so people are exposed to some Cs every day. However, Cs is dangerous in the large, concentrated amounts found in radiation therapy units and industrial gauges.

The sources in these devices are designed to remain sealed and keep people from being exposed; however, if these canisters are intentionally or accidentally opened, the Cs inside could be dispersed.

External exposure to large amounts of Cs can cause burns, acute radiation sickness , and even death. Exposure to Cs can increase the risk for cancer because of exposure to high-energy gamma radiation. Internal exposure to Cs, through ingestion or inhalation, allows the radioactive material to be distributed in the soft tissues, especially muscle tissue, exposing these tissues to the beta particles and gamma radiation and increasing cancer risk.

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