Radioactivity:

Radioactivity is the property of some atoms that causes them to spontaneously

give off energy as particles or rays.

Radioactivity is all around us.

It is in rocks, in soil, in water. In the air we breathe and the food we eat. It
is in us.
We don't have to sit on the beach to get exposed to radiation. The fact is, all
of us are exposed to radiation every day.

Radiation, of course, can be harmful. It is also beneficial.

To some people,
"Radioactivity" is only weapons of destruction and nuclear power plants. The
use of radioactive materials, however, pervades our lives, often in ways many
people might find surprising.
Radioactive materials generate electricity.
Radioactive materials save lives: They power pacemakers and help doctors
diagnose and treat disease; they play a prominent role in the search for new,
more effective medicines.
They make our lives safer: One radionuclide is used in a smoke detector;
another detects explosives in luggage at airports.
And radionuclides are used to produce a wide variety of goods and services:
cosmetics and disposable diapers, photocopiers and photographic film, nonstick cookware and radial tires.

Not all of these uses produce waste that requires special disposal. Much of this
waste decays away quickly, and is disposed of with other trash.
As we know that there are both harmful and beneficial aspects of
radioactivity so here Im going to explain some positive uses of radioactivity.

Benefits of radioactivity:
Energy:
The fission of Uranium-235 fuels nuclear power plants (as well as naval
propulsion systems). In the United States, 20% of electricity is generated by
nuclear power; in New Jersey, nuclear power produces over 60% of the
electricity we use.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease:

Radionuclides are used to diagnose and treat diseases. Each year in the
United States, some 10,000,000 nuclear imaging procedures and
100,000,000 laboratory tests on bodily fluids and tissue specimens are
performed using radionuclides.
Cardiac problems can be detected by measuring the flow of blood from the
heart after a solution containing a short-lived radionuclide is introduced into
the circulatory system.
Thyroid disorders and other diseases are diagnosed using radionuclides faster and less invasively than with other techniques. Bone scans using
Technetium-99m, for example, can detect the spread of cancer six to 18
months sooner than x-rays can. This helps reduce, or eliminate, the need for
exploratory surgery.
Cancers, leukemia and hyperthyroidism are treated with radioactive
materials. Fast-growing cancer cells absorb the radiation and are destroyed.

Medical Research:

Thirty percent of all biomedical research involves the use of radionuclides.

At least 80% of all new drugs approved by the Food and Drug
Administration result from research with radionuclides.
Scientists are now using radioactive materials in the search for cures for
Parkinsons disease, diabetes, cancer and AIDS.

Smoke Detectors:
Smoke alarms contain a weak source made of Americium-241.
Alpha particles are emitted from here, which ionize the air, so that the air
conducts electricity and a small current flow.
If smoke enters the alarm, this absorbs the particles, the current reduces,
and the alarm sounds.
Am-241 has a half-life of 460 years.

Industry:
Radioactive materials have many uses in industry, including production,
quality control and product testing and manufacture.

Thickness Control:
In paper mills, the thickness of the paper can be controlled by measuring
how much beta radiation passes through the paper to a Geiger counter.
The counter controls the pressure of the rollers to give the correct thickness.
With paper, or plastic, or aluminum foil, b rays are used, because a will not
go through the paper.

We choose a source with a long half-life so that it does not need to be

replaced often.

Sterilizing:
Even after it has been packaged, gamma rays can be used to kill bacteria,
mould and insects in food. This process prolongs the shelf-life of the food,
but sometimes changes the taste.
Gamma rays are also used to sterilize hospital equipment, especially plastic
syringes that would be damaged if heated.

Nuclear reactors:
Nuclear reactors are devices that control fission reactions producing new
substances from the fission product and energy. Recall our discussion earlier
about the fission process in the making of a radioisotope. Nuclear power
stations use uranium in fission reactions as a fuel to produce energy. Steam
is generated by the heat released during the fission process. It is this steam
that turns a turbine to produce electric energy.

OTHER BENEFITS OF RADIOACTIVITY:

Radioactive materials are used to:

Find defects in a casting or weld in underground pipes and gas lines, jet
engines, bridges, and high-rise buildings.
Locate buried utility conduits.
Measure and control the flow of oil in pipelines.
Detect explosives in luggage at airports.
Smoke detectors use small amounts of Americium-241 to detect the
presence of smoke and initiate an alarm.
Static eliminators use Polonium-210 to treat bottles before they are
filled, and to reduce the static charge in the production of photographic
film.
Photocopiers use small amounts of radioactive materials to eliminate
static and prevent paper from sticking.
Self-illuminating EXIT signs and some airport landing lights are powered
by radioactive materials.
Electric arc welding rods used in the construction, aircraft and
petrochemical industries use thorium for easier starting, greater stability
and less metal contamination.
Fluorescent lights last longer because of Thorium-229.