Formation of Activated Hydrogen Peroxide by Irradiation of Water with α-Rays

Abstract

WHEN water is exposed to ionizing radiations the radicals H and OH are produced and these can combine either with each other to give the molecular products H₂ and H₂O₂, or with solutes¹. In regions of high energy loss (such as α-particle tracks) the local concentration of radicals is sufficiently high for combination between them to occur sooner than reaction with the solute. Consequently, while the chemical effects of X-rays on aqueous solutions are brought about chiefly by radical reactions, those of α-rays are chiefly by molecular reactions. However, in α-irradiations there are δ-rays associated with the α-particle tracks and these always introduce a small fraction of relatively sparsely ionizing radiation which prevents any absolute distinction being made between the effects of X- and α-irradiations.