Is cesium dangerous to humans

Answer 1

Very nearly 100% of cesium found in nature is not radioactive. Nevertheless, cesium has the highest number of isotopes of any element, 32, and all but one are radioactive.

There are three radioactive isotopes of cesium produced in fission, and when one hears with concern that cesium was released in a nuclear accident, the reference is to two of these with half lives long enough to remain for some time.

A tiny amount of cesium-137, a fission byproduct, is present in soil worldwide as a result of nuclear bomb testing. This material has a half life of about 37 years, and so is declining. Very small amounts are lost from nuclear power plants from time to time, and there was fair amount lost into the environment near the Chernobyl plant; in fact there was enough that mushrooms, which concentrate cesium, have historically been considered unsafe to eat if they grew in that area, because of the amount they contained.

Cesium-135, which has a half life of nearly three million years, is also an important byproduct of fission. Since its immediate precursor, xenon-135, has a large neutron capture cross section, most of it is changed into xenon-136, and not much cesium-135 is produced in nuclear reactors, where it is only about 0.7% of the waste product. In nature, however, the xenon-135 nearly all decays into cesium, and over 6% of the byproduct of the waste of natural uranium fission is cesium-135. This being the case, it can be found in traces in uranium ore deposits.
There are different isotopes of Caesium, most of them radioactive. Still the type of radiation differs strongly between isotops, from practically harmless to extremly dangerous. As long as you don't know which isotope of Cs you are handling you will not know what radiation precautions to follow.

Answer 2

There are different isotopes of Caesium, most of them radioactive. Still the type of radiation differs strongly between isotops, from practically harmless to extremly dangerous. As long as you don't know which isotope of Cs you are handling you will not know what radiation precautions to follow.

Answer 3

Cesium is quite reactive. Cesium reacts so violently with cold water it can cause a fire.

Answer 4

no its not it is when it has entered your body. However when in the system, it will cause birth defects

Answer 5

Naturally occurring caesium is not radioactive, but synthetic radioactive isotopes of caesium have been made and are used in radiation therapy.

Answer 6

Yes, 39 to be exact.