Is iodine a radioactive element?
Iodine (chemical symbol I) is a chemical element. There are 37 known isotopes. For example, uranium has thirty-seven different isotopes, including uranium-235 and uranium-238. of iodine, and only one is not radioactive (Iodine-127).
Why is iodine-131 harmful to our bodies?
Ingested Iodine-131 is dangerous because it primarily affects the thyroid gland that plays a fundamental role in childhood development. Radioactive iodine toxicity varies greatly with age, with toddlers, young children and adolescents being far more sensitive than adults.
Where is iodine-131 found?
Iodine-131 is an artificially produced fission by-product resulting from nuclear weapons, above-ground nuclear testing, and nuclear reactor operations. Iodine-131 is found in the gaseous and liquid waste streams of nuclear power plants, but is not released to the environment during normal reactor operations.
What is radioactive iodine-131 used for medically?
I-131 is used in medicine to diagnose and treat cancers of the thyroid gland. Where does it come from? I-131 is produced commercially for medical and industrial uses through nuclear fission. It also is a byproduct of nuclear fission processes in nuclear reactors and weapons testing.
Why is iodine used for radiation?
When you take potassium iodide, your thyroid gland absorbs it. If you get the right amount at the right time, it will saturate your thyroid gland. This can help block any inhaled or ingested radioactive iodine from being absorbed by your thyroid. This lowers your risk for radiation damage to that gland.
What type of radiation is radioactive iodine?
The most widely used iodine radioisotope, iodine-131, emits radiation in the form of medium energy gamma rays and beta particles, which disrupts molecules in cells and deposits energy in tissues, causing damage.
How long does I-131 stay in your system?
How long does radioiodine stay in your body? The radioiodine from your treatment will remain in your body temporarily. Most of the radioiodine not collected by your residual thyroid tissue will be eliminated during the first two days after your treatment.
Can I touch things after radioactive iodine?
You should try to keep all family and friends during this period at least one meter (three feet) away and do not have direct physical contact, especially intimate contact, like kissing or hand holding where radioiodine could be passed onto others.
Who discovered iodine-131?
The use of iodine-131 (131I), discovered in 1938 by Glenn Seaborg and John Livingood at the University of California, Berkeley, has been the success story in nuclear medicine.
How long does I-131 stay in the body?
What type of iodine is used for radiation?
In December 2001, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said if there was a radiation emergency, people should take a drug that would help protect them from thyroid cancer. This drug is called potassium iodide (KI). The New York State Health Department agrees.
When was iodine-131 first used in medicine?
This year marks the 75th anniversary since Saul Hertz first administered radioiodine (I-130–I-131) to a patient on January 1st 1941 in the Massachusetts General Hospital as a treatment for hyperthyroidism.
What are the properties of iodine-131?
Chemical properties: I-131 can change directly from a solid into a gas, skipping the liquid phase, in a process called sublimation. I-131 dissolves easily in water or alcohol. I-131 readily combines with other elements and does not stay in its pure form once released into the environment.