Radioisotopes+Agriculture

__//**RADIOISOTOPES IN AGRICULTURE**//__



The radioactive isotopes that are involved are the following: Cobalt-60 Cesium-137 Nitrogen-15 Phosphorus-32 When excessive chemicals are added to fertilizers, to grow plants, the extra chemicals run off and pollute the nearby rivers and water sources. Nitrogen-15 and Posphorus-32 are used to measure the amounts of chemicals in the fertilizers. They do this by using these elements to measure how much of the original chemical was consumed by the plant compared to how much was given. Cesium-137 and Cobalt-60 are used to irradiate food by using Beta radiation.
 * What radioactive isotopes are involved?**

//__I found this on one of our websites that we used, and I found it very interesting:__//

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The half-lives of these elements are the following: Cobalt-60, Half life=5.27years Cesium-137, Half-life=30.07 years Nitrogen-15, Half-life=stable* Phosphorus-32, Half-life=14.26 days
 * What is the half-life of the isotopes?**


 * This element is stable. This means that it is not radioactive, but it is included because it is an important isotope in agriculture.

For more half-lives of different isotopes, visit this periodic table and click on the elements: http://ie.lbl.gov/education/parent/P_iso.htm

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In agriculture, ionizing radiation is used to treat and preserve food instead of chemicals. It is used to preserve the shelf-life of foods. In meats and other animal products it is used to kill bacteria, diseases and illnesses like salmonella. It also helps to prolong ripening of fruits and vegetables so that they will last longer in your home or the grocery store. Irradiation uses accelerated electrons (beta radiation) and ionizing radiation from radioisotopes like cobalt-60 and cesium-137. In fertilizers the most common radioisotopes that are found are nitrogen-15 and phosphorous-32. These are dangerous to the environment if over used. Studies have been carried out to find the amount needed in the chemicals so that not too much fertilizer is being used. Ionizing radiation from radioisotopes is also used to produce crops that can resist drought and diseases. In insect control, ionizing radiation is used to sterilize the insects so that they can no longer produce and will eventually all die off.
 * What kind of decay and/or artificial transmutation is involved, including the equation for the nuclear reaction?**

Equation for Nuclear Reaction: Cobalt-60



__//Alpha And Beta Particles//__

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__//Radioactive Atom://__

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Before we learn about the value of radioactive isotopes in agricultural research, it is essential to understand what an isotope actually is. Isotopes are dissimilar forms of an atom of the same element. This means that isotopes are identical in chemical properties but differ in relative atomic mass. For instance, the number of protons is the same, but the number of neutrons in the nucleus is different. The radioactive nature of these unstable isotopes is referred to as radioactive isotopes, or radioisotopes. Radioisotopes have been proven beneficial in agricultural research. For instance, isotopes are used in helping preserve food and improving crop development. This is a very crucial use because in doing so, more food is being produced for those persons who go to bed hungry each and every night. Radioactive isotopes also help in detecting the persistence of pesticides in water located in soil (or ground), which is important because it is probably not a good idea to have a great amount of pesticides in a small area of ground, or an inadequate amount in a large area of soil. Since radioisotopes are chemically identical with other isotopes of the same element, radioisotopes can be used in the chemical or biological processes in plants by being substituted into chemical reactions.These radioactive forms can be determined with a Geiger counter, which enables scholarly scientists to better understand the elaborate procedure of how plants use phosphorus to develop and produce offspring.
 * What is the value of the particular application?**

__//Potted Plan With Amazing Geiger Counter!//__

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__//Moo! //__

//__Proof of why irradiation/use of radioisotopes is helpful in agriculture:__//

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A necessary key tidbit of information to record is that radioactive isotopes, or radioisotopes, produce radiation. As a result, radiation produced from radioisotopes can be used in food sterilization. However, there is some dispute regarding whether or not using radiation to sterilize food poses a health hazard. While advocates of food irradiation state that the radiation technique destroys disease-causing organisms and prevents food spoilage without greatly decreasing the taste, consistency, and nutritional content in the food, opponents disagree. Opponents of food irradiation announce that there are risks involved in the process, arguing that radiation creates new chemicals inside food that may be harmful (especially if ingested over a very long period of time). Regardless, U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved irradiation for many different foods. Likewise, supporters of food irradiation agree that irradiation can’t make food radioactive.
 * What are the risks associated with your application?**

//**Bibliography:**//

Agricultural Applications. Dept. of Chemistry, Duke U. 21 Jan. 2008. http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/nuclear/agriculture.html

Firestone, Richard B., comp. The Berkeley Laboratory Isotopes Project's. 22 May 2000. Ernest O. Lawrence Berkeley's National Laboratory. 22 Jan. 2008. http://ie.lbl.gov/education

India. Press Information Bureau. Atomic Energy. 21 Jan. 2008. http://pib.nic.in/archieve/factsheet/fs2000/aenergy.html

Nuclear Sciences and Applications. International Atomic Energy Agency. 21 Jan. 2008. http://www-naweb.iaea.org/na/our-work-na.html

"The Peaceful Atom." Australian Uranium Association. Oct. 2004. Uranium Information Centre Ltd. 21 Jan. 2008. http://www.uic.com.au/peac.htm

"The World of Nuclear Science." Oracle ThinkQuest. 2000. ThinkQuest Team. 22 Jan. 2008. http://library.thinkquest.org/C004606/applications/foodagriculture.shtml

Worsnop, Richard L. "Food Irradiation." CQ Researcher. 1992. The CQ Researcher. Yarmouth. 21 Jan. 2008. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1992061200&amp;type=hitlist&amp;num=0

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