ra·di·o·lead

(rā'dē-ō-led'),

A radioactive isotope of lead, usually ²¹⁰Pb. See: lead.

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

radioactive lead

Any of the radioactive isotopes of lead, which are part of the natural decay chain of 238U: 218Po is an alpha emitter with a half-life of 3.1 minutes; this becomes 214Pb, a beta emitter with a half-life of 27 minutes; this becomes 214Bi, another beta emitter, which has a half-life of 20 minutes; this becomes 214Po, an alpha emitter with a half-life of 160 microseconds; this becomes 210Pb, a beta emitter with a half-life of 22 years; this becomes 210Bi, another beta emitter, which has a half-life of 5 days; this becomes 210Po, an alpha emitter with a half-life of 140 days; finally ending in 206Pb, a stable nuclide.

References in periodicals archive

This radiolead was identical in chemical properties to ordinary stable lead.

If, however, a lead compound with radiolead added is stirred in water so that a tiny fraction of the molecules dissolve, that same tiny fraction of the molecules containing radio-lead also dissolves.

In later years, Hevesy followed the manner in which plants absorbed and distributed water by spiking it with a tiny quantity of radiolead compound that he could follow accurately.

Radioactive tracers

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