Radioactive Pollution in Drinking Water

Abstract

A radionuclide or radioisotope is an atom that has the same atomic number but different atomic mass i.e. same number of electrons and protons and a different number of neutrons e.g. 12C6 , 13C6 , 14C6 . They are carrying excess nuclear energy by which they are unstable in the environment. This excess energy can be used in different ways such as either direct emission from the nucleus in the form of Gamma (γ) radiations or it may be transferred to one of its electrons which is released as a conversion electron or it can be used to emit new particles viz. Alpha (α) and Beta (β) particles from the nucleus itself. This process of energy conversion is known as radioactive decay.