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Why is radon more closely associated with inducing lung cancer than other types of cancer?

Short Answer

Expert verified

We are more prone to inhale radon than any other radioactive element since it is a radioactive gas. When we breathe radon, the gas is carried to our lungs and it causes more lung cancer than any other substance.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Radon gas

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally and can cause lung cancer.

Radon gas is odourless, colourless, and inactive. The majority of radon exposure takes place in households, schools, and workplaces.

02

Explanation of close association of radon with inducing lung cancer

We can see from the Appendix and Table\(Al\)that it has a half-life of\(3.82\)days. Because radon is a noble gas, it does not react and is tasteless and odourless, which is one of the reasons why a person cannot detect its existence on their own, posing a significant risk. Because radon is extremely radioactive, inhaling daughter cores that are decomposing radon might cause lung injury. As a result of the high number of lung cancer cases linked to radon exposure, cigarette smokers are a particularly vulnerable population.

Because the circumstances for diffusion from the soil to the basements are particularly easy, it is usually found in the soil and underground buildings with inadequate ventilation. Because of its widespread distribution, radon is considered one of the natural radiations, with a global estimate of roughly \(3{\rm{ }}mSv\) per year (as shown in the book), and a US average dose of \(2{\rm{ }}mSv\) per year.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Suppose a person swallows some radioactive material by accident. What information is needed to be able to assess possible damage?

Another set of reactions that result in the fusing of hydrogen into helium in the Sun and especially in hotter stars is called the carbon cycle. It is

\(\begin{array}{*{20}{l}}{^{12}C{ + ^1}H}&{{ \to ^{13}}N + \gamma ,}\\{^{13}N}&{{ \to ^{13}}C + {e^ + } + {v_e},}\\{^{13}C{ + ^1}H}&{{ \to ^{14}}N + \gamma ,}\\{^{14}N{ + ^1}H}&{{ \to ^{15}}O + \gamma ,}\\{^{15}O}&{{ \to ^{15}}N + {e^ + } + {v_e},}\\{^{15}N{ + ^1}H}&{{ \to ^{12}}C{ + ^4}He.}\end{array}\)

Write down the overall effect of the carbon cycle (as was done for the proton-proton cycle in \(2{e^ - } + {4^1}H{ \to ^4}He + 2{v_e} + 6\gamma \)). Note the number of protons (\(^1H\)) required and assume that the positrons (\({e^ + }\)) annihilate electrons to form more \(\gamma \) rays.

Breeding plutonium produces energy even before any plutonium is fissioned. (The primary purpose of the four nuclear reactors at Chernobyl was breeding plutonium for weapons. Electrical power was a by-product used by the civilian population.) Calculate the energy produced in each of the reactions listed for plutonium breeding just following Example 32.4. The pertinent masses are \(m\left( {{\rm{ }}239{\rm{ U}}} \right){\rm{ }} = {\rm{ }}239.054289{\rm{ u }},{\rm{ }}m\left( {{\rm{ }}239{\rm{ Np}}} \right){\rm{ }} = {\rm{ }}239.052932{\rm{ u }},{\rm{ and }}m\left( {{\rm{ }}239{\rm{ Pu}}} \right){\rm{ }} = {\rm{ }}239.052157{\rm{ u}}\)

The energy produced by the fusion of a \(1.00 - kg\) mixture of deuterium and tritium was found in Example Calculating Energy and Power from Fusion. Approximately how many kilograms would be required to supply the annual energy use in the United States?

(a) Calculate the energy released in the neutron-induced fission reaction\(n{ + ^{239}}Pu{ \to ^{96}}Sr{ + ^{140}}Ba + 4n\), given \(m{(^{96}}Sr) = 95.921750{\rm{ }}u\)

And

\(m{(^{140}}Ba) = 139.910581{\rm{ }}u\).

(b) Confirm that the total number of nucleons and total charge are conserved in this reaction.

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