What is the use of iodine-131?

What is the use of iodine-131?

I-131 is used in medicine to diagnose and treat cancers of the thyroid gland. Where does it come from? I-131 is produced commercially for medical and industrial uses through nuclear fission. It also is a byproduct of nuclear fission processes in nuclear reactors and weapons testing.

Is Iodine-131 harmful to humans?

People exposed to I-131, especially during childhood, may have an increased risk of thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is uncommon and is usually curable. Typically, it is a slow-growing cancer that is highly treatable.

What is iodine-131 made of?

Iodine-131 is an artificially produced fission by-product resulting from nuclear weapons, above-ground nuclear testing, and nuclear reactor operations. Iodine-131 is found in the gaseous and liquid waste streams of nuclear power plants, but is not released to the environment during normal reactor operations.

What type of radiation is iodine-131?

The most widely used iodine radioisotope, iodine-131, emits radiation in the form of medium energy gamma rays and beta particles, which disrupts molecules in cells and deposits energy in tissues, causing damage. Iodine-131 is used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in nuclear medicine and oncology.

Why is radioiodine used?

Radioiodine therapy is a nuclear medicine treatment. Doctors use it to treat an overactive thyroid, a condition called hyperthyroidism. They also may use it to treat thyroid cancer.

Why is iodine 131 bad?

Most of the iodine that enters the body quickly becomes systemic (EPA 1988), with approximately 30% depositing in the thyroid. Exposure to I-131, especially in childhood, increases the risk for hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, and cancer. Illustration of the thyroid gland. Source: National Cancer Institute.

Can I touch things after radioactive iodine?

You will be advised to sleep alone for the first few days after your treatment. During this period, you should avoid kissing or sexual intercourse. Also avoid prolonged physical contact with others, particularly children and pregnant women. If you have a baby, be sure to get instructions from your doctor.

Who invented iodine 131?

Glenn Seaborg
However, the controversies summarized by Mazzaferri in 2004 regarding the best treatment still continue [2]. The use of iodine-131 (131I), discovered in 1938 by Glenn Seaborg and John Livingood at the University of California, Berkeley, has been the success story in nuclear medicine.

What is the difference between iodine 127 and iodine 131?

What is iodine 131? Iodine found in the natural environment is called iodine 127. On the other hand, iodine 131 is rarely found in the natural world, but exists in large amounts in nuclear reactors. Iodine 131 is radioactive and changes to a substance called xenon.

What are the side effects of iodine 131?

Common side effects of Sodium Iodide I 131 include nausea, vomiting, chest pain, rapid heart rate, itching skin, rash, and hives. Dosing of Sodium Iodide I 131 ranges widely from 5 to 1000 microcuries, depending on the procedure being performed.

Can a thyroid grow back after radioactive iodine?

In almost all cases, your thyroid hormone levels will return to normal or below normal after radioactive iodine treatment. This may take 8 to 12 weeks or longer.

How to detect iodine 131?

Most medical imaging with iodine is done with a standard gamma camera. However, the gamma rays from iodine -123 and iodine – 131 can also be seen by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging.

Who discovered Iodine 131?

Iodine-131 was discovered in the radiation laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. Iodine-131 is a volatile radioactive isotope of iodine. It was discovered by research scientists Glenn T. Seaborg and John Livingood in 1938 at the University of California, Berkeley radiation laboratory.

What is the nuclear decay equation for iodine – 131?

Iodine-131 (131I) is an important radioisotope of iodine discovered by Glenn Seaborg and John Livingood in 1938 at the University of California, Berkeley. It has a radioactive decay half-life of about eight days. It is associated with nuclear energy, medical diagnostic and treatment procedures, and natural gas production.

What is the half life of 131?

For a thyroid blocked from iodide uptake in the production of hormones, the effective half-life of iodide I 131 is approximately 1.4 hours; for “low” to “high” uptake, the effective half-life of I 131 ranges from approximately 80 to 90 hours.