Beta decay chemical effects

Hashimoto, T., Tamai, T., Matsushita, R., and Kiso, Y. Chemical Behavior of Carrier-Free Iodine Produced by Beta-Decay and Effects of Iodine Carriers. J. Nucl. Sci. Techno . (Tokyo) 7, 92 (1970). 24 20800... 

Bogumil Jeziorski received his M.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Warsaw in 1969. He conducted his graduate work also in Warsaw under the supervision of W. Kolos. After a postdoctoral position at the University of Utah, he was a research associate at the University of Florida and a Visiting Professor at the University of Waterloo, University of Delaware and University of Nijmegen. Since 1990 he has been a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Warsaw. His research has been mainly on the coupled-cluster theory of electronic correlation and on the perturbation theory of intermolecular forces. His other research interests include chemical effects in nuclear beta decay, theory of muonic molecules and relativistic and radiative effects in molecules. 

The chemical effects associated with beta decay of Te in organic systems and of Te and Te in alkyl tellurides have been studied. Autoradiolysis following internal conversion is important in determining the chemical outcome of decay. Energy is transferred from solvent to solute. The significance of an autoradiation zone was also established in the decay... 

The activities of some isotopes, in particular °Sr- °Y, can also be detected by liquid-crystal spectrometry with the use of the Cherenkov phenomenon [10, 11]. The Cherenkov effect is used to determine beta isotopes emitting particles whose iiniax IS above 500 keV [12]. The main advantage of beta activity determination by the Cherenkov effect is the use of analytical preparation used for another chemical analysis (e.g. calculation of recovery). Moreover, the addition of low energy beta or alpha radiation does not disturb the measurement, thereby lowering the cost of analysis. The weakness of this method is the decreased recovery registration and the decline in information about the realistic appearance of the beta spectrum [13]. The determination of beta isotopes in environmental samples is very difficult and requires their chemical isolation. The type of sample and the time of chemical analysis determine the choice of analytical method. Also, the time between contamination and sample collection is important procedures used for samples recently contaminated are different to those used for old samples in which the decay of short-lived radionuclides has aheady taken place [1, 5]. 

Radon is a relatively inert noble gas that does not readily interact chemically with other elements. However, radon is a radioactive element and evaluation of the adverse health effects due to exposure to radon requires a slightly different approach than other chemicals. Radioactive elements are those that undergo spontaneous transformation (decay) in which energy is released (emitted) either in the form of particles, such as alpha and beta particles, or photons, such as gamma or X-ray. This disintegration or decay results in the formation of new elements, some of which may themselves be radioactive, in which case they will also decay. The process continues until a stable (nonradioactive) state is reached (See Appendix B for more information). 

---