11. Nuclear Chemistry

Two technicians in a nuclear laboratory were accidentally exposed to radiation. If one was exposed to 5 mGy and the other to 9 rad, which technician received more radiation?

A solution of iodine-131, a radioisotope used in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease, is found just prior to administration to have an activity of 1.08 x 10⁶ Bq/mL. If 2.57 mL were delivered intravenously to the patient, what dose of I-131 ( in µCi) did the patient receive?

A 1.00 mL sample of red blood cells containing chromium-51 as a tracer was injected into a patient. After several hours, a 5.00 mL sample of blood was drawn and its activity compared to the activity of the injected tracer sample. If the collected sample activity was 0.10% of the original tracer, calculate the total blood volume of the patient (see the Chemistry in Action 'Medical Uses of Radioactivity,' p. 338).

A solution of selenium-75, a radioisotope used in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease, is found just prior to administration to have an activity of 44 μCi/mL. If 3.98 mL were delivered intravenously to the patient, what dose of Se-75 (in μCi) did the patient receive?

A typical chest X ray exposes a patient to an effective dose of 0.02 mSv. How many rem is this, and how many chest X rays would a patient have to receive before biological effects would be observed? (The limit from Table 11.6 is >25 rem.)

Match each property (1 to 3) with its unit of measurement.

1. activity

2. absorbed dose

3. biological damage

a. rad

Two technicians in a nuclear laboratory were accidentally exposed to radiation. If one was exposed to 8 mGy and the other to 5 rad, which technician received more radiation?

Two samples of a radioisotope were spilled in a nuclear laboratory. The activity of one sample was 8 kBq and the other 15 mCi. Which sample produced the higher amount of radiation?

Suppose a person absorbed 50 mrad of alpha radiation. What would be the equivalent dose in millisieverts?

The dosage of technetium-99m for a lung scan is 20. µCi/kg of body mass. How many millicuries of technetium-99m should be given to a 50.0-kg person (1 mCi = 1000 µCi)

Why are rems the preferred units for measuring the health effects of radiation?

A selenium-75 source is producing 300 rem at a distance of 2.0 m?

b. What is its intensity at 25 m?

If a radiation source has an intensity of 650 rem at 1.0 m, what distance is needed to decrease the intensity of exposure to below 25 rem, the level at which no effects are detectable?

Film badge dosimeters typically include filters to target specific types of radiation. A film badge is constructed that includes a region containing a tin foil filter, a region containing a plastic film filter, and a region with no filter. Which region monitors exposure to α-radiation? Which monitors exposure to β-radiation? Which monitors γ-radiation? Explain.

Why is a scintillation counter or Geiger counter more useful for determining the existence and source of a new radiation leak than a film badge?