The following chart identifies 211 radioactive poisons which are present in every ten-year old irradiated CANDU fuel bundle. The list is not complete.These data, compiled from AECL-9881, refer to the radioactive contents of an irradiated fuel bundle from the Bruce A reactors.
The origin of each radioactive poison is also indicated in the chart:
- F.P. indicates ''Fission Products'': these are the broken pieces of atoms which were split or fissioned in the reactor to produce energy [fission products are also produced when an atomic bomb explodes].
- F.I.A.P. indicates ''Fuel Impurity Activation Products'': during fission, impurities in the fuel become radioactive by absorbing neutrons.
- Z.A.P. indicates ''Zircaloy-4 Activation Products'': elements in the zirconium sheath also become radioactive by absorbing neutrons.
- ''Actinides'' refer to the radioactive decay products of uranium and the trans-uranium (heavier-than-uranium) elements created during fission, when uranium atoms absorb one or more neutrons without fissioning.
The radioactivity of each poison is only roughly indicated:
The list is organized according to the electric charge of the nucleus (the so-called "atomic number [Z]"), from the smallest charge (Hydrogen-3, also known as "tritium") to the largest charge (Californium-252). This is consistent with the order of the elements in the periodic table.
- a single yen-sign ¥ indicates the presence of a particular radioactive poison;
- a triple yen-sign ¥ ¥ ¥ indicates the presence of over a million becquerels of that radioactive poison
- per kg of uranium fuel (for FP, FIAP, and Actinides) or
- per kg of zirconium alloy (for ZAP).
Within each chemical species, the radioactive varieties (called "isotopes" or "nuclides") are organized according to the mass of the nucleus, indicated by the accompanying number in the chart, called the "mass number [A]".
Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)H
(T)Hydrogen
(Tritium)3 ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Be Beryllium 10 ¥ ¥ C Carbon 14 ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Si Silicon 32 ¥ ¥ P Phosphorus 32 ¥ ¥ S Sulphur 35 ¥ Cl Chlorine 36 ¥ Ar
ArArgon
Argon39
42¥
¥¥
¥K
KPotassium
Potassium40
42¥
¥Ca
CaCalcium
Calcium41
45¥
¥Sc Scandium 46 ¥ Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)V Vanadium 50 ¥ Mn Manganese 54 ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Fe
FeIron
Iron55
59¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥
¥Co
CoCobalt
Cobalt58
60¥
¥ ¥ ¥¥
¥ ¥ ¥Ni
NiNickel
Nickel59
63¥
¥ ¥ ¥¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥Zn Zinc 65 ¥ ¥ Se Selenium 79 ¥ ¥ ¥ Kr
KrKrypton
Krypton81
85¥
¥ ¥ ¥Rb Rubidium 87 ¥ Sr
SrStrontium
Strontium89
90¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥¥
¥Y
YYttrium
Yttrium90
91¥ ¥ ¥
¥¥ ¥
¥Zr
ZrZirconium
Zirconium93
95¥ ¥ ¥
¥¥
¥¥ ¥ ¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Nb
Nb
Nb
Nb
NbNiobium
Niobium
Niobium
Niobium
Niobium92
93m
94
95
95m
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥Mo Molybdenum 93 ¥ ¥ Tc Technetium 99 ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Ru
RuRuthenium
Ruthenium103
106¥
¥ ¥ ¥Rh
RhRhodium
Rhodium103m
106¥
¥ ¥ ¥Pd Palladium 107 ¥ ¥ ¥ Ag
Ag
Ag
Ag
AgSilver
Silver
Silver
Silver
Silver108
108m
109m
110
110m¥
¥
¥
¥
¥¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥
¥¥
¥
¥
¥
¥Cd
Cd
Cd
CdCadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium109
113
113m
115¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥¥ ¥
¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)In
In
In
InIndium
Indium
Indium
Indium113m
114
114m
115
¥
¥¥
¥
¥
¥Sn
Sn
Sn
Sn
Sn
Sn
SnTin
Tin
Tin
Tin
Tin
Tin
Tin113
117m
119m
121m
123
125
126
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥Sb
Sb
Sb
SbAntimony
Antimony
Antimony
Antimony124
125
126
126m¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥Te
Te
Te
Te
TeTellurium
Tellurium
Tellurium
Tellurium
Tellurium123
123m
125m
127
127m¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥I Iodine 129 ¥ ¥ Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Cs
Cs
CsCesium
Cesium
Cesium134
135
137¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥Ba Barium 137m ¥ ¥ ¥ La Lanthanum 138 ¥ Ce
CeCerium
Cerium142
144¥
¥ ¥ ¥Pr
PrPraseodymium
Praseodymium144
144m¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥Nd Neodymium 144 ¥ Pm Promethium 147 ¥ ¥ ¥ Sm
Sm
Sm
SmSamarium
Samarium
Samarium
Samarium147
148
149
151¥
¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥Eu
Eu
EuEuropium
Europium
Europium152
154
155¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥¥
¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Gd
GdGadolinium
Gadolinium152
153¥
¥¥
¥Tb
TbTerbium
Terbium157
160¥
¥Dy Dysprosium 159 ¥ Ho Holmium 166m ¥ ¥ Tm
TmThulium
Thulium170
171¥
¥Lu
Lu
LuLutetium
Lutetium
Lutetium176
176
176¥
¥
¥Hf
Hf
HfHafnium
Hafnium
Hafnium175
181
182¥
¥
¥Ta
TaTantalum
Tantalum180
182¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)W
W
WTungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten181
185
188¥
¥
¥Re
ReRhenium
Rhenium187
188¥
¥Os Osmium 194 ¥ Ir
Ir
Ir
IrIridium
Iridium
Iridium
Iridium192
192m
194
194m¥
¥
¥
¥Pt Platinum 193 ¥ Tl
Tl
Tl
TlThallium
Thallium
Thallium
Thallium206
207
208
209¥
¥
¥
¥Pb
Pb
Pb
Pb
Pb
Pb
PbLead
Lead
Lead
Lead
Lead
Lead
Lead204
205
209
210
211
212
214¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Bi
Bi
Bi
Bi
Bi
Bi
BiBismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth208
210
210m
211
212
213
214¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥Po
Po
Po
Po
Po
Po
Po
PoPolonium
Polonium
Polonium
Polonium
Polonium
Polonium
Polonium
Polonium210
211
212
213
214
215
216
218¥ ¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥At Astatine 217 ¥ Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Rn
Rn
RnRadon
Radon
Radon219
220
222¥
¥
¥Fr
FrFrancium
Francium221
221¥
¥Ra
Ra
Ra
Ra
RaRadium
Radium
Radium
Radium
Radium223
224
225
226
228¥
¥
¥
¥
¥Ac
Ac
AcActinium
Actinium
Actinium225
227
228¥
¥
¥Th
Th
Th
Th
Th
Th
ThThorium
Thorium
Thorium
Thorium
Thorium
Thorium
Thorium227
228
229
230
231
232
234¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Pa
Pa
Pa
PaProtactinium
Protactinium
Protactinium
Protactinium231
233
234
234m¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥U
U
U
U
U
U
U
UUranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium
Uranium232
233
234
235
236
237
238
240¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥Np
Np
Np
Np
NpNeptunium
Neptunium
Neptunium
Neptunium
Neptunium237
238
239
240
240m¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥Pu
Pu
Pu
Pu
Pu
Pu
Pu
PuPlutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium236
238
239
240
241
242
243
244¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)Am
Am
Am
Am
AmAmericium
Americium
Americium
Americium
Americium241
242
242m
243
245¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥Cm
Cm
Cm
Cm
Cm
Cm
Cm
CmCurium
Curium
Curium
Curium
Curium
Curium
Curium
Curium242
243
244
245
246
247
248
250¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥ ¥ ¥
¥
¥
¥
¥
¥Bk
BkBerkelium
Berkelium249
250¥
¥Cf
Cf
Cf
CfCalifornium
Californium
Californium
Californium249
250
251
252¥
¥
¥
¥Standard Chemical Symbol Common Name of element Atomic Mass
NumberF.P.
Fission
ProductF.I.A.P.
Activation ProductZ.A.P.
Activation ProductActinide
(includes progeny)AECL-9881. J. C. Tait, I. C. Gould, and G. B. Wilkin.
Derivation of Initial Radionuclide Inventories for the
Safety Assessment of the Disposal of Used CANDU Fuel.
AECL Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, August, 1989.
[Findings on Uranium Tailings] [Findings on High-Level Waste]
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