Applications of ionizing radiation

 Food Sterilization
 Medical Applications and Radiotracers
 Smoke detectors
 Radiocarbon Dating
 Energy Production
 Weapons

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Food
Sterilization
 Gamma irradiation of foods
often from 60Co source

 Spices, herbs and dehydrated

vegetables. Also pork and
poultry are also preserved in
this way

 FDA approved
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 Medical Applications of
Radioactivity
Radiotracers

 Radioactive nuclides
can be introduced into
laboratory reactions or
organisms and traced
for diagnostic
purposes.

 Renograms employ the

use of tracers. 3
Radiotracers - Choice of
Tracer
 Gamma rays are chosen since alpha and beta particles would be absorbed by
tissues and not be detected outside the body.

 Technitium-99m is most widely used because it has a half-life of 6 hours.

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 Medical Applications of Radioactivity -
Scanners
 Medical Scanners utilize many types of radiations

X-Rays – Bone structures opaque to rays

X-ray computed tomography (CT Scan – X-
rays)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI – Nuclear

magnetism)

Ultrasound (high frequency sound waves)

√ Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan)

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Medical Applications of Radioactivity -
Scanners
 X-ray scans to detect injury or the
presence of foreign objects in patients
 CT scans to create a computer-
generated 3D image of cross-sections of
the body

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Medical Applications of Radioactivity - Radiotherapy

Radiation is also used in radiotherapy where higher doses of radiation

are used to kill cancerous cells during the treatment of tumours.

The aim of radiation therapy is to cause damage to the cancerous cells

whilst minimising the risk to surrounding healthy tissue.

The damage inflicted by radiation therapy causes the cancerous cells

to stop reproducing and thus the tumour shrinks.

The amount of radiation given to the patient has to be accurately

calculated so that the damage is limited to the cancerous cells only.
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Radiotherapy
methods

TELETHERAP
Y
 involves irradiating tumours

using beams of high-energy

radiation, focused
specifically on the tumour to
minimize damage to
surrounding tissue
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 Radiotherapy
methods
BRACHYTHERAPY
provides a highly localized dose by one of two
methods:

either the insertion of sealed radioactive

sources in the form of rods, wires or through
hollow tubes into or close to the tumour, or

the swallowing by the patient of a radioactive

liquid that is selectively absorbed by the

tumour. 19
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 Radiation not only kills cells, it can also kill germs or bacteria.
 Nowadays, medical instruments (e.g. syringes) are prepacked
and then irradiation using an intense gamma ray source.
 This kills any germs or bacteria but does not damage the
syringe, nor make it radioactive.

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 Scientific
Research
Archaeologists use 14C to date
artifacts containing plant or
animal material

 Museums rely on radioactive

 Criminal investigators use materials to verify authenticity
radiation to examine of art objects and paintings
evidence 1
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FLUOROSCOPY FOR
SECURITY SCANS

11/13/2016 11
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Smoke
Detectors
 Americium-241 emits alpha particles and ionizes air in a space in the
detector
 Ions allow a current to flow

 Smoke absorbs alpha particles, interferes with ion formation and

electric current. An alarm sounds

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Agricultural Uses
 Hardier and more disease resistant crops (peanuts, tomatoes,
onions, rice, soybeans, barley) have been developed using
radioactive materials in agricultural research

 Nutritional value, baking and melting

qualities of some crops and cooking times have

been improved using isotopes

 Radioactive materials pinpoint where illnesses strike animals to

breed disease-resistant livestock

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Agricultural Uses

 Radioactive materials show how plants absorb fertilizer; this

helps researchers figure where and how much to apply to
crops for maximum yield

 Isotopes help farmers and scientists

control pests; e.g., California has used
radiation sterilization since
the mid-70s to control Mediterranean
fruit fly infestations

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Summary
 There are 3 main uses of ionising radiation in medicine:
treatment, diagnosis and sterilisation.

 Radiotherapy is used to treat cancers by irradiating them with

ionising radiation.

 Radioactive tracers are used to diagnose and investigate several

medical conditions.

 Ionising radiation is used to sterilise medical equipment as it kills

germs and/or bacteria.
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