Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor
Published on: May 7, 2021
Radioisotopes produced by neutron irradiation of food
1West Building (W3/01), The University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England HD1 3DH, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The use of neutrons for cargo interrogation has the potential to drastically improve threat detection. Previous research has focussed on the production of (24)Na, based on the isotopes produced in pharmaceuticals and medical devices. For both the total activity and the ingestion dose we show that a variety of isotopes contribute and that (24)Na is only dominant under certain conditions. The composition of the foods has a strong influence on the resulting activity and ingestion dose suggesting that the pharmaceuticals and medical devices considered initially are not a viable analogue for foodstuffs. There is an energy dependence to the isotopes produced due to the cross-sections of different reactions varying with neutron energy. We show that this results in different isotopes dominating the ingestion dose at different energies, which has not been considered in the previous literature.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Isotopes and Radioisotopes
An isotope containing...
Nuclear Transmutation
Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy
Fundamental Principles of PET
Types of Radioactivity
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Isotopes
An element's atomic mass, or weight,...
2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO2

