Hot, Hotter, Hottest Trivia Quiz

Answer: uranium 238

Uranium 238 accounts for over 99% of the natural uranium that exists on earth. Strontium 90 and Cesium 137 are both man-made radioactive elements or nuclides; they are made through weapons testing and fission reactors. Plutonium 239 is also man-made by the neutron bombardment of Uranium 238.

Answer: sieverts and rem

Rem and sieverts are used to show the biological damage in the human body.

Roentgen and coulomb are units of measure referring to the amount of radiation passing through the air. Curies and becquerels are units of measure indicating the radiation emitted by a substance. Rad and gray are terms to measure the amounts of radiation energy that is absorbed by something. The world average per person is about 3 millisieverts. (3 mSv)

Answer: radon gas

Radon gas, a decay product of uranium, is released from the earth's crust and it then breaks down into radioactive atoms. These become attached to dust and other matter than we either inhale or ingest. This source of radioactive elements that we receive generally accounts for more than half of what most people receive annually.

Answer: potassium

There are three potassium isotopes, two of which are stable and one which is radioactive. This third type, K40, is present in all potassium but in very low levels. Potassium is an essential component of healthy bodies and the average person consumes 2.5 grams of potassium a day and excretes about that same amount. Potassium is the most abundant naturally occurring radioactive element in our bodies, but the amounts of radiation emitted are apparently not high enough to cause noticeable effects in our bodies.

Brazil nuts also contain potassium as well as radium and they may be as much as four times more radioactive than bananas. Resources sites: Reactor Concepts Manual: Natural and Man-Made Radiation Sources

Answer: medical procedures

Medical procedures are primarily x-rays, but nuclear medicine also accounts for some of this exposure. Research indicates that of the background radiation that the average person receives 11% is from medical x-rays, 4% is from nuclear medicine and 3% is from consumer products (tobacco, televisions, luminous watches, building and construction materials, etc.) The remainder comes from natural sources (cosmic, terrestrial, radon gas, etc.)

Answer: thyroid problems

Iodine 131 is used to treat cases of hyperthyroidism and some types of thyroid cancer. The iodine is absorbed into the tissue and then proceeds to break it down, which is the desired result. Previously iodine 131 was used for diagnostic purposes, but is rarely done so currently because of the carcinogenic nature of beta radiation it has; iodine 125 is used for diagnostic testing instead.

Answer: dosimeter

The damage done to the body by radiation is cumulative so it is important for those exposed to radiation above normal levels to keep a record of their exposure. It is important that they remain below levels that have been set by law and the use of a dosimeter helps in this.

Answer: leukemia

Survivors of the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima are called the hibakusha. They are a special group of people who have experienced difficulty in many ways: radiation sickness, loss of family and friends, and oftentimes facing discrimination because of their having been exposed to radiation in the atomic attack.

There are monuments in Nagasaki and Hiroshima that record the names of the hibakusha who have died since the atomic bombings. The total as of August 2010 was more than 420,000 and this figure is updated annually.

Many in this group are working toward having a world without nuclear weapons.

Answer: Chernobyl, Soviet Union and Fukushima, Japan

The incident in Chernobyl, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) took place in 1986 when there was a steam explosion resulting in a meltdown and the release of radioactive material. Over 50,000 people living in the vicinity of the plant were evacuated the next day.

The incident in Fukushima, Japan took place in 2011 following a tsunami that struck the coast of Japan. The Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania, US was received a 5 rating. The Kyshytm, Soviet Union (now Russia) disaster of radiation contamination received a level 6 rating; it took place in 1957.

Answer: France

13.5% of the world's electricity production in 2010 came from nuclear power plants and 13 countries in the world depended on nuclear power for at least one-fourth of their electricity needs. France topped the list with 77% of its electricity coming from nuclear power plants; it was followed by Slovakia and Belgium at 54% each. (Source sited: Nuclear Energy Institute)

One of the dangers and difficulties involved in the production of electricity through nuclear power plants is the waste, primarily plutonium, that must be dealt with safely. That fact that it can also be used in bombs complicates this issue.