Radioactivity: The Dawn of a New Age

It was 2:45 am on August 6, 1945. In the middle of the early morning silence, a B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, took off from Tinian, an island 1500 miles south of Japan. One of the passengers aboard the bomber; "Little Boy", came into being while the plane made its way through Asian skies. "Little Boy" was made of uranium-235, a radioactive isotope of uranium. Six hours after take off on that fateful day, "Little Boy" sprung its wings and flew out of the B-29 aiming for its target... "The mushroom cloud itself was a spectacular sight, a bubbling mass of purple-gray smoke and you could see it had a red core in it and everything was burning inside. . . . It looked like lava or molasses covering a whole city. . . .", said Sergeant George Caron, the tail gunner aboard the Enola Gay.

(Day of the Bomb: Countdown to Hiroshima)

Sure; technology is not neutral. It is not neutral because it itself is introduced into an environment by someone. The way it is introduced into that environment is what makes it not neutral.

Radioactivity is the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei. The nucleus emits alpha particles, beta particles, or electromagnetic rays during this process.

The discovery of Radioactivity came about in December, 1895. German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a kind of ray that could travel through solid wood or flesh and yield photographs of living people's bones. Roentgen dubbed these mysterious rays X-rays, with X standing for unknown. In recognition of his discovery, Roentgen, in 1901 became the first Nobel laureate in physics. (Radioactivity: Historical Figures)

The word "Radioactivity" is derived from the Latin word for Ray, and it was coined by Marie Curie herself who along with her husband Pierre Curie began investigating the phenomenon of radioactivity recently discovered in uranium ore. After chemical extraction of uranium from the ore, Marie noted the residual material to be more "active" than the pure uranium. She concluded that the ore contained, in addition to uranium, new elements that were also radioactive. This led to their discoveries of the elements of polonium and radium.

As it turned out, Curie realized that radiation was a property of matter as supposed to a separate, independent emanation. Scientists can now create radioactive forms of common elements, called isotopes. Each isotope has a fixed rate of decay which can be characterized by its "half-life", or the length of time that it takes half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay. Because each isotope decays at a unique and predictable rate, different isotopes can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, isotopes play an important role in modern medicine. They can be ingested and traced in their path through the body, revealing biochemical and metabolic processes with precision. These isotopic "tracers" are currently used for the practical diagnosis of disease as well as in research.

Radioactivity has everything to do with energy. It occurs naturally but also due to human activity.

The dating of radioactive carbon has helped to define the history of life on this planet. Any living organism takes in both radioactive and non-radioactive carbon, either through the process of photosynthesis or by eating plants or eating animals that have eaten plants. When the animal dies, however, uptake of carbon stops. As a result, radioactive carbon atoms are not replaced as they decay, and the amount of this material decreases over time. The rate of decrease is predictable and can be described with accuracy, vastly increasing our ability to date the biological events of our planet.

(www.accessexcellence.org)

Today, Radioactivity is subject of much debate. While its contributions in the fields of medicine energy and research are insurmountable, its use in nuclear weaponry has put a stamp of "dangerous" on it. Former president Dwight Eisenhower addressed the UN's General Assembly. "Atomic bombs today are more than twenty-five times as powerful as the weapons with which the atomic age dawned, while hydrogen weapons are in the ranges of millions of tons of TNT equivalent. Today, the United States' stockpile of atomic weapons, which, of course, increases daily, exceeds by many times the explosive equivalent of the total of all bombs and all shells that came from every plane and every gun in every theaters of war through all the years of World War II".

(www.nuclearfiles.org)

Along with the benefits and burdens that radioactivity has brought upon humanity, especially upon those who are in danger of being irradiated by nuclear bombs, nuclear energy plants and nuclear waste, there come a series of ethical issues. It begins with the use of Radioactivity in nuclear technology, which has done more harm than good to humanity. The existence of nuclear weapons is not only unnecessary, but its use is immoral and a crime against humanity itself. The existence of nuclear weapons and their use is a reflect of human cowardice by those who want to impose their wishes on others. When we are told that sacrifices are called for, or that collateral damage is necessary, let's watch who those statements are coming from. The support for nuclear weapons and their use as a form of defense or deterrence is part of a political perspective which sees nothing else but selfish intentions.

But examples of how Radioactivity can be used for human benefit also abound. Radioactivity has a lot to do with energy and Radioactive energy can come from natural sources as well as man made sources. Solar energy is an example of a natural source. On the other hand, microwave heating used for cooking and radio waves used for communication are examples of man made sources. In the manufacturing industry, radioactive energy penetrates paper sheets of materials which allows the measurement of such sheets in the production line.

Another use of radioactive energy is in the construction of airplanes and ships. Here, the process consists of taking pictures of gamma rays which allows us to see cracks or other structural problems in casting or welds. Car tires are irradiated to improve their strength. Vulcanization changes the physical properties of rubber, making it tougher. Modern smoke detectors are based on radiation emitted by an element called Americium-241. A voltage applied to two plates forms an ionization chamber inside the detector. The americium-241 is used to ionize the air between the plates, causing a current to flow. Smoke particles entering the cell impede the ions and reduce the current.

(www.ansto.gov.au)

With X rays, Roentgen's remarkable discovery precipitated one of the most important medical advancements in human history. X-ray technology lets doctors see straight through human tissue to examine broken bones, cavities, and swallowed objects with extraordinary ease. Modified X-ray procedures can be used to examine softer tissue, such as the lungs, blood vessels, or the intestines.

Sterilization of medical instruments and food is another common application of radiation. By subjecting the instruments and food to concentrated beams of radiation, we can kill microorganisms that cause contamination and disease. Because this is done with high energy radiation sources using electromagnetic energy, there is no fear of residual radiation. Also, the instruments and food may be handled without fear of radiation poisoning.
Radiation sources are extremely important to manufacturing industries throughout the world. They are commonly employed by nondestructive testing personnel to monitor materials and processes in the making of the products we see and use every day. Trained technicians use radiography to image materials and products much like a dentist uses radiation to x-ray your teeth for cavities. There are many industrial applications that rely on radioactivity to assist in determining whether the material or product is internally sound and fit for its application.

Today, radioactive substances (for example, radiopharmaceuticals) are very useful in medicine, as long as the dose is carefully controlled. In Australia, about 550,000 people benefit from nuclear medical procedures every year, and most people will make use of nuclear medicine at some stage in their lives. Two of the major tools in nuclear medicine are radioisotopes, and energy and particle beams.

Gamma ray transmission or scattering can be used to determine the ash content of coal on a conveyor belt. The gamma ray interactions are atomic number dependent, and the ash is higher in atomic number than the coal combustible matter. Also the energy spectrum of gamma rays which have been scattered from the coal can be measured.

One of the fields in which Radioactivity has shown the most benefits is medicine. The most common use of nuclear medicine is the bone scan, which can show up fractures (breaks) which may not be visible on normal X-rays. This test is also very useful in certain types of cancer (particularly prostate and breast cancers) to see if there has been any spread to bone. Bone scans are also useful in detecting arthritis and infection (osteomyelitis). The latter is important in children where early diagnosis is very important.

Nuclear scanning is probably the best way to detect blood clots in the lungs (emboli). This potentially lethal condition can occur after surgery and an emergency scan may be necessary to allow treatment to commence as soon as possible.

Blood flow to heart muscles can be studied through radioactive scanning and may be very useful in suspected heart attacks and the diagnosis of chest pains.

Treatment using radioactive materials is also possible, particularly in cases of thyroid cancer, fluid in joints and also for pain from widespread deposits of cancer.

There is a down point for exposure to Radioactivity though. It has been scientifically found that radioactivity is harmful to the human body. Exposing oneself to CAT Scans, Cell Phone frequencies, Highly Electrified Power lines, Microwaves, etc, takes a toll on human tissue. Exposure to these and other forms of Radioactivity, may cause different types of cancer. Continuous use of a cell phone affects brain cells and has been held responsible for brain cancer. People who live near Power lines are found to be more likely to develop cancer as well. Microwave ovens eliminate most of the nutrients food contains.

(www.mydr.com.au)

The use of Radioactivity to produce energy is more controversial than those cases cited above. Nuclear reactors are devices that control the fission reactions that produce energy. Countries like the United States rely on nuclear reactors to fulfill their need for energy in part. However, nuclear energy is not the safest to produce. No one wants a nuclear reactor in their backyard. The truth is that as long as there are other options to produce energy, I see no reason why a community or a country should count; much less depend on nuclear reactors to satisfy their thirst for energy. Chernobyl is a great example of how wrong can nuclear energy production turn.

At 1:21 am. on April, 1986 in Chernobyl, a city near the Pripiat River the No. 4 reactor exploded and released thirty to forty times the radiation of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombing. The exact causes of the explosion are not known. But one suggested reason is that the operators of the plant were attempting to conduct an experiment with the emergency cooling system turned off.

And how about nuclear waste disposal? Deep Disposal is the only method to get rid of nuclear waste; however its effectiveness is questionable at best. Deep Disposal maintains nuclear waste the farthest from humans, but not from the soil we use to grow the food we eat or the water many of us drink. Nuclear waste disposal is the greatest and gravest side effect of nuclear energy production because once the waste is buried; the results are out of control.

Why do we have to risk the life of thousands of people (actual number not known) in order to produce energy we can obtain by using the geothermal richness under the soil, or the force of 100 mile per hour winds? The answer to me is that there are no reasons. The current U.S government, for example, has failed to provide incentives and funding to finance the future of energy in the country. Communities have had to fund their initiatives themselves. Local governments need to look under every rock to pay for solar panels for schools, to upgrade official-use vehicles, and to get the population involved and aware of alternative energy sources. Only a handful of local governments are able to help individuals who want to take a step forward and acquire solar panels to produce their own electricity. While citizens must go to great lengths to produce an average $10,000 to pay for alternative energy sources, the federal government spends billions in a war against an invisible enemy.

Overall, I would say that the effects of Radioactivity on humanity are both positive and negative. More positive than negative, or vice versa? It depends where you live. This might not be a revealing conclusion. The reason for this is that Radioactivity like other technologies, is introduced into our planet by humans themselves and in doing so, humans manipulate Radioactivity most of the time for individual, local, or regional purposes, or for the benefit of a country as supposed to the progress of the planet as a whole. Although its discovery was made by a German physicist and Germany possesses and processes radioactive materials, there is no equality in Europe or around the world as far as the places that benefit from Radioactivity. The developed countries are the ones which took and continue to take more advantage of Radioactivity as a technology. However, other countries in the developing world don't have access to it. No X-ray machines, CAT Scans, or dental technology. No radiation to fight cancers, no machines to treat blood abnormalities.

So, as with other technologies that have emerged over time, I ask myself the same question: What good does it do to create technologies if those who need the most don't have it? For those who live in technologically developed countries it is easy to think of the benefits obtained from Radioactivity. For others in technologically underdeveloped regions of the world, who wait weeks and months for a medical appointment, the wonders of Radioactivity's based technologies are barely existent.