What is the decay of cesium-137?
What is the decay of cesium-137?
barium-137m
Cesium-137 decays in the environment by emitting beta particles. As noted above, cesium-137 decays to a short lived decay product, barium-137m. The latter isotope emits gamma radiation of moderate energy, which further decays to a stable form of barium.
How long does it take for cesium-137 to decay?
about 30.17 years
Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years. About 94.6% decays by beta emission to a metastable nuclear isomer of barium: barium-137m (137mBa, Ba-137m). The remainder directly populates the ground state of barium-137, which is stable.
What does it mean to say Caesium 137 has a half-life of 30 years?
1981). When we talk about radiocesium, we mean cesium-137. Stable cesium 133 (Cs-133) is the only naturally occurring isotope. It is found mainly in the mineral pollucite, containing up to 30% Cs20….Caesium 137.
| Caesium 137 | |
|---|---|
| effective half-life human | approx. 69 – 109 days |
| Accumulation in | Muscle tissue |
What type of radiation does cesium-137 emit?
Beta Particles
Type of Radiation Emitted: Beta Particles.
Does cesium 137 produce gamma rays?
Cobalt-60 (60Co) and caesium-137 (137Cs) are the most widely used sources of gamma radiation. Co produces gamma rays with energies of 1.173 and 1.332 MeV and has a half-life of 5.27 years, whereas 137Cs produces gamma rays with an energy of 0.662 MeV and has a longer half-life of 30.1 years.
What does cesium 137 look like?
Small amounts of Cs-137 are incorporated into Lucite disks, rods, and seeds. If the lead containers of Cs-137 are opened, the substance inside looks like a white powder and may glow. Cs-137 from nuclear accidents or atomic bomb explosions cannot be seen and will be present in dust and debris from fallout.
Where does cesium 137 come from?
Cesium-137 is found in the liquid and airborne waste stream of nuclear reactors, but is not released to the environment, beyond trace levels in the liquid effluent, during normal nuclear reactor operations. It is likely to be released as a part of a nuclear reactor accident due to its volatility.
What is the half life of Cs 137?
Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years. About 94.6 percent decays by beta emission to a metastable nuclear isomer of barium: barium-137m (137mBa, Ba-137m).
What are the health effects of Cesium 137?
Some people who take cesium by mouth can also have nausea, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Tingling of the lips, hands, and feet may also occur. When given by IV or as a shot: Cesium is LIKELY UNSAFE when injected into the body.
What are the effects of Cesium 137?
Stable cesium is not likely to affect the health of children, but large amounts of gamma radiation, from sources such as radioactive cesium, could damage cells and might also cause cancer. Short exposure to extremely large amounts of radiation might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding, coma, and even death.
What is the decay equation of Cesium 137?
What is the decay equation of cesium 137? ##_ 55^137Cs -> _ 56^137Ba + _-1^0beta##. Cesium-137 has an of 55 so is written as. ##_55^137Cs##. It is also a ##beta##-emitter which means it undergoes ##beta##-decay by a neutron decaying into a proton releasing an electron. Protons and neutrons have the same mass so the doesn’t change.
