It is the reactions of the radical species that are responsible for the changes observed following irradiation of a chemical system.
[3] Electrons with sufficient energy proceed to interact with the absorbing medium identically to β radiation.
High LET species are usually greater in mass than one electron,[4] for example α particles, and lose energy rapidly resulting in a cluster of ionization events in close proximity to one another.
Areas containing a high concentration of reactive species following absorption of energy from radiation are referred to as spurs.
In a medium irradiated with low LET radiation, the spurs are sparsely distributed across the track and are unable to interact.
The base deprotonates the hydroxydimethylmethyl radical to be converted into acetone and a solvated electron, as the result the G value (yield for a given energy due to radiation deposited in the system) of chloride can be increased because the radiation now starts a chain reaction, each solvated electron formed by the action of the gamma rays can now convert more than one PCB molecule.
[7][8] If oxygen, acetone, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride or nitrobenzene[9] is present in the mixture, then the reaction rate is reduced.
[10][11] In addition to the work on the destruction of aryl chlorides, it has been shown that aliphatic chlorine and bromine compounds such as perchloroethylene,[12] Freon (1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane) and halon-2402 (1,2-dibromo-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane) can be dehalogenated by the action of radiation on alkaline isopropanol solutions.
In this study it was found that the addition of manganese dioxide to the coal increased the rate of sulfur removal.
[15] In addition to the reduction of organic compounds by the solvated electrons it has been reported that upon irradiation a pertechnetate solution at pH 4.1 is converted to a colloid of technetium dioxide.
Some substances can protect against radiation-induced damage by reacting with the reactive species generated by the irradiation of the water.
The action of radiation upon underground water is responsible for the formation of hydrogen which is converted by bacteria into methane.
While it is possible to do some types of research using an irradiator much like that used for gamma sterilization, it is common in some areas of science to use a time resolved experiment where a material is subjected to a pulse of radiation (normally electrons from a LINAC).
This allows the relative abilities of substances to react with the reactive species generated by the action of radiation on the solvent (commonly water) to be measured.