- #1
calamari13
- 3
- 0
Homework Statement
A couple of questions I am drawing a bit of a mental blank on:
1. If a hospital were using an Iodine-125 source, how often would the source need to be replaced with a new one? State any assumptions.
2. Why, of all of the isotopes of Iodine produced in a fission reaction is Iodine-131 the most concerning?
The Attempt at a Solution
For question 1 I assume I should be making some assumption about the rate at which the source is used. It has a half life of around 60 days. I could assume that the hospital uses about half the source every 30 days say? I'm not sure if this is the kind of assumption the question is after. Also, when do you define a source as no longer being useful and being in need of replacement?
For question 2 I think it has something to do with the half life of the Iodine-131 isotope being on the order of a few days meaning it would be decaying in the thyroid after it is absorbed (via beta minus) at a dangerous rate. If the half life was extremely short it wouldn't be a problem as it would be pretty much gone very quickly, and if it was very long then the Iodine would leave the system before much of it had decayed. Do you think this is the logic that the question is after?
Thanks heaps for any help guys! Much appreciated.