Uses of Radioactive Radiation

8.4  Uses of Radioactive Radiation

 

Agricultural field:

  • Increase the rate of absorption of fertilizer by a plant with a small mixture of radioactive material

  • Radioactive radiation is used to kill pests and is used to genetically modify plant cells to produce better breeds

Field of defense:

  • Nuclear energy used by some submarines and aircraft carriers

  • Nuclear weapons contain radioactive materials such as uranium and plutonium that release enormous amounts of energy when exploded

Medical field:

  • Radioactive radiation is used to detect the location of clogged arteries in heart patients, is used to kill cancer cells, and to sterilize hospital equipment and rooms

Archaeological field:

  • Radiation from the isotope-14 can determine the age of fossils, wood, and bone through the activity of radiation emitted by these materials

Industrial field:

  • Radioactive radiation is used to detect cracks in groundwater pipes, check luggage bags at airports, and the thickness of a material

Fields of food preservation:

  • Some preserved foods emit radioactive radiation to kill the microorganisms present in the food