SC 8.4

• Agriculture

  • Pest control
  • gamma rays are shone on pest to kill or hinder their breeding
  • Increase quality of agriculture products
  • Gamma rays are used to mutate plants cells to create a new gene with more quality (Modify characteristic of plant)
  • Research
  • Phosphorus-32 is used to determine the absorption rate of fertilisers by plant to determine the best type of phosphate fertilizer
  • Carbon-14 is used to investigate the effectiveness of pest control on plants
• Medicine

  • Illness treatment
  • Gamma rays from cobalt-60 is used to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumour
  • Iridium-192 is used to treat cancer and breast cancer
  • Samarium-153 is used to treat leukimia
  • Detection
  • Iodine-123 is used to detect blocks in kidney
  • Iodine-131 is used to detect damage in thyroid gland
  • Iodine-131 and Barium-38 detect growth of tumour cells in brain
  • Sodium-24 detects position of blood clotting
  • Iron-59 detects iron nutrients in blood
  • Technetium-99 shows the condition of the internal organs of humans
• Medicine

  • Sterilisation
  • Gamma rays are used to sterilise medical equipment like surgical equipment, gloves, thermometers, needles and syringes
  • SARS patients' pillow and beds are brought to gamma ray rooms to attenuate the virus
• Industrialisation

  • Quality control
  • Beta and gamma rays are used to check and control the quality of products of cans and packages
  • Beta rays are used to determine paper and plastic thickness
  • A metal sheet is passed between beta radiation source and beta radiation detector
  • Too much beta radiation detected = The metal sheet is too thin
  • Gamma rays are used to determine the thickness of metal
  • Alpha rays are used in textile industry to neutralise static charges to reduce wrinkles on clothes
• Industrialisation

  • Metal isotopes are ised to detect corrosion of engine and gearbox
  • Detection of leaks
  • Isotopes and Geiger-Muller tubes can detect leakage in piston, in vehicles and in oil/gas pipes
  • Underground water or gas pipes can be detected using radioactive materials. Radioactive sheets are chanelled in the pipes. Then, Geiger-Muller counters show high counts at the place of leakage
• Food preservation

  • gamma rays are used to
  • kill bacteria in canned and bottled food
  • delay ripeness of packaged fruits and vegetables
  • kill bacteria in meat to preserve its freshness for a longer time
• Archaeology

  • Estimate age of artifact
  • Plants with Carbon-14 isotopes are obtained from carbon dioxide gas through photosynthesis
  • The carbon-14 is transferred to animal body through food chain
  • Where these plants and animals die and decay, the supply of carbon-14 halts and the isotope decays
  • Activity of radioactive rays decrease with time
  • Archaeologists estimate artifact age using carbon dating
  • the age is estimated by determining the percentage of carbon-14 that is still evident in the artifact
• Safety measure handling radioactive substances

  • Disposal of radioactive waster done safety and properly
  • Storing radioactive source or radioactive waste in containers with thick lead walls
  • Radioactive substances are shielded with thick slabs of lead
  • Robotic hands are used to handle radioactive substances safely
  • Detecting the dose rate of radioactive radiation absorbed into the body with detectors such as radiation badges
  • Wearing appropriate protective clothing when handling radioactive substances
  • Leakage checks on radiation are frequently carried out with a Geiger-Muller counter
• Safety measure handling radioactive substances

  • Food and beverages are strictly prohibited into areas with radioactive material and waste with fear of being polluted by radioactive dust
  • containers with radioactive substances are submerged in water
  • water can absorb heat produced by radioactive reactions
  • The containers with waste will be buried in a mine that is not in use or is not inhabited by humans