2 ms·
I was under the impression that Cobalt-60 was more common for food irradiation (it's not soluble in water and has a shorter half-life, so less potential eco-imp
by kjs3 6y ago
I was under the impression that Cobalt-60 was more common for food irradiation (it's not soluble in water and has a shorter half-life, so less potential eco-impact). But, yeah, food irradiation is a really common process with few downsides once you get past the whole "made in a reactor" part.
- bigbubba 6y agoAFAIK both Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137 are used as gamma sources for food irradiation, though Cobalt is more common.
- ashtonkem 6y agoI find that reading about nuclear accidents actually helps here. Assuming you’re not standing next to something unbelievably “hot” (don’t do that!), the main issue is the dust that tends to settle onto everything and keep irradiating you. So radiated food is fine, but food that’s been coated in radioactive dust is emphatically not fine.