CDPH Lead Inspector/Assessor California State Practice Exam

What is the half-life of Cadmium-109?

1. 180 days

2. 464 days

3. 12 months

4. 2 years

The correct answer is: 464 days

The half-life of Cadmium-109 is approximately 464 days. The half-life is a critical concept in understanding how long it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay. In the case of Cadmium-109, knowing its half-life is essential for various applications, including health physics, environmental monitoring, and evaluating exposure risks. Understanding the half-life allows professionals to assess how long the isotope may remain active in the environment or in biological systems, which is notably important for safety assessments and regulatory compliance. The correct choice reflects the specific decay characteristics of Cadmium-109 and its implications in fields where this knowledge is pertinent, such as radiation safety and toxicology. Other options, while they might represent possible half-lives of different isotopes, do not accurately reflect the properties of Cadmium-109. Therefore, the answer that indicates 464 days aligns with established scientific data about the isotope and its behavior over time.