Cesium Iodine and the Environment

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cesium iodine is a white powder that consists of the elements cesium (Cs) and iodine (I). It is a common byproduct of nuclear fission in nuclear reactors and atomic bomb explosions. It can also be found in the environment from nuclear weapons tests and accidental events like the Chernobyl power plant accident. It is sometimes used in medical equipment and gauges for density measurement.

When Cs-137 is released into the air, it can spread over a large area in the form of radioactive dust. This dust can become airborne, and if ingested, it can damage the thyroid gland. This can lead to a condition called iodism, which can cause symptoms such as goiter, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation and skin rashes. It is also known to irritate the lungs and eyes.

It can also be absorbed by the skin and lungs, and inhaled into the gastrointestinal tract, where it can be ingested. The absorption is slow and the resulting dose to the gastrointestinal tract is not as high as the pulmonary dose.

Using a combination of experimental methods, we show that iodine and cesium ions disperse rapidly in groundwater systems and are rapidly transported to sediments and minerals by redox transformations and sorption reactions. The experiments demonstrate that the rapid transport of these radionuclides depends on complex redox and sorption chemistry, which should be taken into account when predicting the distribution of these substances in waste plumes from nuclear accidents.