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Similar term(s): Pu.
Plutonium is a heavy, man-made, radioactive metallic element. The most important isotope is Pu-239, which has a half-life of 24 000 years. Pu-239 can be used in reactor fuel and is the primary isotope in nuclear weapons.
In the context of Chernobyl, an important radioisotope of Plutonium is Pu-241, which has a half-life of 14.4 years and decays into americium-241.
All isotopes of plutonium are readily absorbed by the bones and can be lethal depending on the dose and duration of exposure.
Source: GreenFacts, based on CDC
Glossary of Radiological
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GreenFacts Summary on the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident:
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