Lecture 11 radioactive poisoning Flashcards
Alexander Litvinenko
Admitted to the hospital due to possible radiation poisoning
-thalium
-He was a former FSB officer (discovered that the FSB was helping criminals)
-Told the press which caused a lot of controversy
-Fled to UK in 2000
What is radiation?
Energy given of by matter in form of rays or high-speed particles
-Ionizing radiation (high frequency)
- Non-ionizing radiation (low frequency)
Matter gives off energy in 2 forms:
-Electromagnetic (waves)
-particles
unstable atoms emit what?
radiation
+ alpha particles
- beta particles
Gamma rays
x-rays
Radioactive decay
loose radioactivity over time
-Half-life time
Isotopes
Same number protons (atomic #), not neutrons
Stable isotopes
- No radioactive decay
- No radiation
- Neutrons and protons balanced
Unstable isotopes
- Imbalance
- Isotope wants to transform
Alpha decay
atom is ejecting a particle from nucleus
Change in mass/ atomic #: 4/2
Beta decay
Change in mass / atomic #: 0/-1
Gamma decay
change in mass / atomic #: 0/0 (unchanged)
Alpha particles
-Heavy short range particles
-do not penetrate the skin (only dangerous if inhaled, ingested, or through a wound)
-Not able to detect through sheet of paper
Beta particles
- Light short range particle
* Ejected electron
-Several feet in air
-Moderately penetrating
-Penetrate skin to germinal layer - Harmful if deposited internally
-Hard to detect
Gamma rays and X-rays
- Highly penetrating electromagnetic waves
- Travel many feet in air
- Many inches in human tissue
- Dense materials offer protection
- Easily detectable
- By-product alpha and beta decay
Diagnosis of Alexander Litvienko
-Polonium-210 emits alpha radiation
-used stool or urine samples
-The hospital found traces of polonium-210 (they had a radiation source now in their hospital because this patient’s body had high levels of polonium)
What is polonium-210?
-Metallic element discovered by Marie Curie (1898)
-Decay product of uranium, decays in lead
* Radioactive t 1/2 = 138
days
* Biological t 1/2 = 40
days
-1mg polonium-210 = 5g radium-226
-High energy alpha emitter
* Radiation hazard
inside body
- Solid metal at RT
- Dissolves in dilute acids
What type of radiation is most destructive?
- Alpha radiation
Alexander Litvienko
Passed away 23 days after exposure to radiation
Acute radiation syndrome has 4 phases:
1) Prodromal phase: minutes to days after exposure
2) Latent phase: Few days to a few weeks
3) Illness stage
4) Cutaneous radiation syndrome (not with PO-210)
Treatment
-No cure
-Wash skin and remove clothing
-Gastric aspiration or lavage
-Mild poisoning may be reversible
-Chelating agents
Treatment with chelating agents
-Chelating agents bind toxic metals
* Forms chelate
* Excreted bile or urine
* Reduces t 1/2 and
thereby dose
- Start as soon as possible
Millennium hotel radiation contamination:
-The Pine Bar was contaminated with Polonium
-Traces of polonium were found in tea pot and on furniture (people were trying to poison Alexander)
-traces of radioactive material found around London
- 1 died but many were exposed
Radiation exposure at home
-Radon: odorless, invisible, radioactive gas
-released from: rocks, soil, water
Amount of radon depends on what?
-soil chemistry
-escaping radon depends on: weather, soil porosity, soil moisture, and suction within house
