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Benefits/problems of using radioisotopes (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nesstar
- Start date
As an example, consider the use of Tc-99m for diagnostic imaging in medicince:
Benefit: allows diagnosis of disease
relatively non-invasive
imaging allows better targetting in surgical interventions (eg. you can surgically remove a tumour with less exploration if you know exactly where it is)
Problem: radiation exposure for patient
Stray radiation exposure to others (doctors, nurses, relatives, ...)
production requires a nuclear reactor, which is expensive / a potential terrorist target / makes Greenpeace unhappy, ...
etc...
Benefit: allows diagnosis of disease
relatively non-invasive
imaging allows better targetting in surgical interventions (eg. you can surgically remove a tumour with less exploration if you know exactly where it is)
Problem: radiation exposure for patient
Stray radiation exposure to others (doctors, nurses, relatives, ...)
production requires a nuclear reactor, which is expensive / a potential terrorist target / makes Greenpeace unhappy, ...
etc...
You have to be specific - benefits and problems can be different for different cases, and dot point says "in identified industries and medicine", which to me implies specific cases.
For example, iodine isotopes are generally β-emitters. This is a problem when <sup>123</sup>I is used for imaging, because β radiation can destroy tissue, but it is a major reason for using <sup>131</sup>I for treatment, when tissue destruction is the goal (the problem becomes the inadvertant destruction of healthy tissue).
For example, iodine isotopes are generally β-emitters. This is a problem when <sup>123</sup>I is used for imaging, because β radiation can destroy tissue, but it is a major reason for using <sup>131</sup>I for treatment, when tissue destruction is the goal (the problem becomes the inadvertant destruction of healthy tissue).
tina_goes_doo
Pharmer in Training
Also a lot of the radioisotopes used in diagnostic medicine have short half-lives -> cannot be stored and so have to be made nearby or on site (ie. hospitals -> safety precautions).
Then there is the disposal of nuclear wastes.
Yeah and basically what CM_Tutor said about causing biological damage, eg. DNA mutations, killing healthy cells, etc.
Then there is the disposal of nuclear wastes.
Yeah and basically what CM_Tutor said about causing biological damage, eg. DNA mutations, killing healthy cells, etc.
Tommy_Lamp
Coco
i thought t-99m occured from the decay of Molybdenum, do u really need a uclear reactor?
Tommy_Lamp
Coco
ah ok (duh 
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