Major Category
Physical/Radiation
Description
A metal with a melting point of about 860 degrees C; [Merck Index]
Sources/Uses
A radioactive element discovered in 1952 in the debris from a nuclear detonation; Known isotopes include Es-243 to Es-256. [Merck Index] About 3 mg of einsteinium has been produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratories by irradiating kilogram quantities of Pu-239 for several years to produce Pu-242, fabricating the Pu-242 into pellets, and loading the pellets into target rods for16 months of irradiation. The 14 isotopes have short half-lives. The longest half-life is 275 days (Es-254) [http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/99.html]
Comments
Most Important Radionuclide: Es-254
Source: Neutron bombardment of plutonium;
Half-Life: 472 days
Lung Clearance Half-Time: Weeks
Internal Toxicity: Very High
Annual Limit on Intake: 0.00002 mCi;
[See Glossary for references.] See "Radiation, ionizing."
Other Information
No other related information on this agent was found.