Applications of Ionizing Radiation

To be used as a tracer, a radioisotope need emit only low-energy detectable radiation. Many other uses of radioisotopes, however, depend on the damage that high-energy, ionizing radiation can inflict on living systems. 

Cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal cells, so radioisotopes that interfere with the cell-division process kill more cancer cells than normal ones. Implants of Au or of a mixture of °Sr and have been used to destroy 

Ionizing radiation has been used to control harmful insects. Captured males are sterilized by radiation and released to mate, thereby reducing the number of offspring. This method has been used to control the Mediterranean frait fly in California and disease-causing insects, such as the tsetse fly and malarial mosquito, in other parts of the world. 

Radioisotopic tracers emit nonionizing radiation and have been used to study reaction mechanisms, material flow, elemental composition, and medical conditions. Ionizing radiation has been used to destroy cancerous tissue, kill organisms that spoil food, and control insect populations. 

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A.F. Readdy, Applications of Ionizing Radiations in Plastics and Polymer Technology , PLASTEC Rept 41 (1971) 35) J.B. Titus,... 

At low and medium doses, it is well established that the nutritional value of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats as macronutrients are not significantly impaired by irradiation, and neither the mineral bioavailability is impacted. Like all other energy depositing process, the application of ionizing radiation treatment can reduce the levels of certain sensitive vitamins. Nutrient loss can be minimized by irradiating food in a cold or frozen state and under reduced levels of oxygen. Thiamin and ascorbic acid are the most radiation sensitive, water-soluble vitamins, whereas the most sensitive, fat-soluble vitamin is vitamin E. In chilled pork cuts at the 3 kGy maximum at 0-10°C, one may expect about 35 0% loss of thiamin in frozen, uncooked pork meat irradiated at a 7 kGy maximum at —20°C approx., 35 % loss of it can be expected [122]. 

Inorganic acids (see Sulfuric acid and other strong inorganic acids, occupational exposures to mists and vapours from) Insecticides, occupational exposures in spraying and application of Ionizing radiation (see Neutrons, y- and X-radiation)... 

Industrial applications of ionizing radiation encompass a wide range of absorbed doses (about six orders of magnitude), dose rates (about twelve orders of magnitude), and energies (over two orders of magnitude). ... 

Peroxy entities may also dissociate thermally. In fact, 0 centers have been detected in CaO after rapid quenching from T < 550°C without application of ionizing radiation (20.) Dissociation occurs at the covalent 0-0 bond which is isoelectronic with the F-F bond in the F2 molecule. The 0-0 bond is weak because of the repulsive interaction between the two oxygen nuclei at <1.5 A distance. Dissociation leads to two 0 radicals ... 

Cooper WJ, Curry RD, O Shea KE, Eds. Environmental Applications of Ionizing Radiation. New York John Wiley and Sons, 1998 722. 

Readdy, A.F., "Applications of Ionizing Radiations in Plastics and Polymer Technology," PLASTEC Report 41 (March 1971). AvaUable from NTIS and DTIC as AD 725 940. 

Getoff N., The Role of Peroxy I Radicals and Related Species in the Radiation-Induced Degradation of Water Pollutants, /n"Environmental Applications of Ionizing Radiation", Cooper W.J., Curry R.D., O Shea K.E. (eds), Wiley, New York, 1998,231-246. 

Fifty years of research and development works in polymer radiation Chemistry has led to a number of commercial applications as mentioned very briefly in the Introduction section. Application of ionizing radiation to polymeric materials still remains to be a very active area and the polymer and plastics industry is constantly benefiting from the innovations and fruitful results obtained from the R D works of researchers from all over the world. In the remaining part of this report a modest effort will be made to provide a survey of current developments in applied radiation chemistry of polymers and emerging new applications. 

Cooper, W. J. O Shea, K. Curry, R. D. In Environmental Applications of Ionizing Radiation Wiley Sons, New York, 1999. 

The Chemistry Behind the Application of Ionizing Radiation in Water-Pollution Abatement... 

Very recently, a three-part review [61-63] has appeared on the current status of the application of ionizing radiation to environmental protection. 

Ion-track technology based on the irradiation of thin films of various materials with accelerated heavy ions is one example of industrial application of ionizing radiation (Waheed et al. 2009). Modern heavy ion accelerators employed for irradiation of materials on the industrial scale provide beams in the 10-100 MeV/u energy range, which expands the treatment depth of considered films up to millimeters (Apel 2003). 

Chmielewski, A.G. 2005. Application of ionizing radiation to environment protection. Nukleonika 50 S17-S24. 

However, there are also several useful applications of ionizing radiation. For example. X-rays, gamma rays and other forms of ionizing radiation are part of medicine and dentistry and have been for decades. Ionizing radiation has valuable uses in testing the effectiveness of welds and other applications. 

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