Re-post: Half-lives in nature?
since the biological half-lives of i131 and cs137, etc., vary so wildly from "standard" textbook half-life, i was wondering if half-lives are the same in food-source animals (chickens, cows) as in humans. i was also wondering if the half-lives are different in plant life (grass, veggies).
thank you! for everything!
Sigh. This has been
Sigh. This has been answered several times now.
The isotope decays "normally" at a FIXED rate of decay unless it is acted on somehow by another force, reaction, etc. SOO... in your body it would decay at it's textbook half life.
You then need to figure out HOW LONG it will be in your body. Depending on the isotope it may be mostly removed in your pee or poo after some time (called biological half life) or it may deposit in your bones and be with you until the istope has fully decayed to a stable state.
Plant's, grass, etc. may take up the isotope, BUT it generally has NO EFFECT on the radiological half life of the isotope. The plant, animal, etc. may concentrate the isotope in it's tissues (some more than others). If you then eat concentrated amounts of the isotope your exposure could be higher.
Easy to explain, hard to quantify what your actual exposure is. Levels are so low at this point and it is in virtually everything that I would not worry too much. You can't do much except avoid certain foods (like everything from Japan and surrounding areas).
thanks. i know enough about
thanks. i know enough about human bio half life, but had not heard about the decay in plant life. if you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of where this info has been so laboriously and painstakingly repeated ad nauseum, i would quite appreciate it.