Heavy Water- Meaning, Purpose and Heavy Water plants in India

High purity heavy water is used in PHWRs for serving as the moderator and the primary coolant.

An ideal moderator:

Heavy water, D{-2}O, is water in which both hydrogen atoms have been replaced with deuterium, the isotope of hydrogen containing one proton and one neutron.It is an ideal moderator and not an absorber of neutrons.

How much Heavy Water is used by a Nuclear Plant?

• A typical 220 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor needs about 275 tonnes of heavy water. Heavy water technology is complex as it involves concentrating and separating the heavy water or deuterium fraction by processing large quantities of an appropriate raw material.
• The first heavy water plant was set up in India at Nangal in 1962 based on electrolysis of water.

Heavy Water Plant in Operation

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Green Calender - Important Dates relating to Environment, Forests, Health & People

Green Calendar

January 12	International Youth Day
January 14-30	Animal Welfare Fortnight
February 2	World Wetlands Day
March 21	World Forestry Day
March 22	World Day for Water
March 23	World Meteorological Day
April 7	World Health Day
April 23	Earth Day
April 28	World Heritage Day
May 22	International Day for Biological Diversity
May 31	World No - Tobacco Day

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Important Radioactive Isotopes used in Medicine and Non-Medicinal Fields

An isotope is one of two or more atoms that have the same atomic number but have different mass numbers. Not all isotopes are radioactive and there are many uses for them. List of important isotopes used by man are given below:

Iron-59 is used for studying how the spleen metabolizes iron.

Copper-64 is used to study genetic problems with copper metabolism.

Erbium-169 is used in the treatment of some forms of arthritis pain

Rhenium-186 is used for relieving bone cancer pain. Rhenium-188 is used for beta irradiation of arteries in angioplasty.

Palladium-103 is used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Samarium-153 is used in the treatment of prostate and breast cancer and can also be effective in pain relief of secondary cancers.

Iodine-131 is used in the treatment of thyroid cancer and is also used for thyroid imaging.

Gallium-67 is used for tumor imaging.

Americum 121 : Used in many smoke detectors for homes and businesses

Cadmium 109 : Used to analyze metal alloys for checking stock, scrap sorting

Calcium 47: Important aid to biomedical researchers studying the cellular functions and bone formation in mammals.

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