Health Concerns
For introduction of radionuclides into organism, ingestion is the most important route. Insoluble compounds are not absorbed from the gut and cause only local irradiation before they are excreted. Soluble forms however show wide range of absorption percentages.
| Isotope | Radiation | Half-life | GI absorption | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strontium-90/yttrium-90 | β | 28 years | 30% | |
| Caesium-137 | β,γ | 30 years | 100% | |
| Promethium-147 | β | 2.6 years | 0.01% | |
| Cerium-144 | β,γ | 285 days | 0.01% | |
| Ruthenium-106/rhodium-106 | β,γ | 1.0 years | 0.03% | |
| Zirconium-95 | β,γ | 65 days | 0.01% | |
| Strontium-89 | β | 51 days | 30% | |
| Ruthenium-103 | β,γ | 39.7 days | 0.03% | |
| Niobium-95 | β,γ | 35 days | 0.01% | |
| Cerium-141 | β,γ | 33 days | 0.01% | |
| Barium-140/lanthanum-140 | β,γ | 12.8 days | 5% | |
| Iodine-131 | β,γ | 8.05 days | 100% | |
| Tritium | β | 13 years | 100% | tritiated water can absorb through skin |
Read more about this topic: Nuclear Fission Product
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