Radioactive forms of cesium are produced by the fission of uranium in fuel elements (fuel rods) during the normal operation of nuclear power plants, or when nuclear weapons are exploded. Cesium is also used in highly accurate atomic clocks. Crystalline cesium iodide and cesium fluoride are used in scintillation counters, which convert energy from ionizing radiation into pulses of visible light for radiation detection and spectroscopy. Sometimes cesium is used as a getter for residual gas impurities in vacuum tubes and as a coating in tungsten filaments or cathodes of the tubes. There are relatively few commercial uses for cesium metal and its compounds. Cesium is not mined or produced in the United States and very little is imported from other countries. No known taste or odor is associated with cesium compounds. The most important source of commercial cesium is a mineral known as pollucite, which usually contains about 5-32% cesium oxide (Cs 2O). Cesium compounds do not react violently with air or water and are generally very soluble in water. Pure cesium metal reacts violently with air and water, resulting in an explosion-like reaction. Pure cesium metal is silvery white in color and very soft, but pure cesium is not expected to be found in the environment. Natural cesium is present in the environment in only one stable form, as the isotope 133Cs. Granites contain an average cesium concentration of about 1 part of cesium in a million parts of granite (ppm) and sedimentary rocks contain about 4 ppm. You must also consider the other chemicals you're exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health.Ĭesium is a naturally-occurring element found in rocks, soil, and dust at low concentrations. These factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), and how you come in contact with it. If you are exposed to cesium, many factors determine whether you'll be harmed. Man-made sources of radioactive materials are found in consumer products, industrial equipment, atom bomb fallout, and to a smaller extent from hospital waste, medical devices, and nuclear reactors. Naturally occurring sources of radiation are cosmic radiation from space or radioactive materials in soil or building materials. If the substance is radioactive, you may also be exposed to radiation if you are near it.Įxternal exposure to radiation may occur from natural or man-made sources. You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. You are exposed to a substance when you come in contact with it. This release does not always lead to exposure. When a substance is released from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This information is important because exposure to this substance may harm you and because these sites may be sources of exposure. As more sites are evaluated, the sites at which cesium is found may increase. However, the number of sites evaluated for cesium is not known. It was reported that 134Cs (radioactive) has been found in at least 3 of the 1,636 current or former NPL sites and 137Cs (radioactive) has been detected in at least 23 of the 1,636 current or former NPL sites. Stable (not radioactive) cesium ( 133Cs) has been identified in at least 8 of the 1,636 hazardous waste sites that have been proposed for inclusion on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL) (HazDat 2003). These sites make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for long-term federal cleanup activities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in the nation. This public health statement tells you about cesium and the effects of exposure. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-80. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. This information is important because this substance may harm you. ![]() ![]() ![]() It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for cesium. What recommendations has the federal government made to protect human health?.Is there a medical test to determine whether i have been exposed to cesium?. ![]()
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