Japan lab accident creates radioactive Gold
The JAEA said it was studying the potential environmental impact from the radiation leak, but did not expect any effect on surrounding areas.
Japanese authorities clarified that an accident at a proton lab at Tokaimura resulted in radioactive gold.
According to Japan Atomic Energy Agency the accident occurred last week in its Hadron Experimental Facility at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex when researchers were trying to generate particles by directing a proton beam at some gold when their equipment overheated, causing the evaporation and release of radioactive gold.
The leak originally was thought to have been contained inside the lab, and when a ventilation fan was switched on the radiation spread, it said.
Experts said gold has only one stable isotope, so all natural gold has an atomic weight of about 197 and this isotope has a reasonably high neutron activation cross-section.
They said an accident like this would probably lead to a lot of radioactive gold. However, there is only one isotope of gold that has a half-life of more than a few days (Au-195, 186 days), and it is impossible to produce this isotope by neutron irradiation.
So any radioactive gold would lose its induced radioactivity within a month or so, they added.
The JAEA said it was studying the potential environmental impact from the radiation leak, but did not expect any effect on surrounding areas.
Sumber : Google
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