- Source: Isotopes of phosphorus
Although phosphorus (15P) has 22 isotopes from 26P to 47P, only 31P is stable; as such, phosphorus is considered a monoisotopic element. The longest-lived radioactive isotopes are 33P with a half-life of 25.34 days and 32P with a half-life of 14.268 days. All others have half-lives of under 2.5 minutes, most under a second. The least stable known isotope is 47P, with a half-life of 2 milliseconds.
List of isotopes
Radioactive isotopes
= Phosphorus-32
=32P is a radioactive isotope of phosphorus with relative atomic mass 31.973907 and half-life of 14.26 days. 32P is a radioactive isotope of phosphorus with beta particle-emitting radiocytotoxic activity. Emitted by 32P, beta particles directly damage cellular DNA and, by ionizing intracellular water to produce several types of cytotoxic free radicals and superoxides, indirectly damage intracellular biological macromolecules, resulting in tumor cell death.
= Phosphorus-33
=33P is an artificial radioactive element. It is produced with a low yield by the neutron bombardment of 31P (stable). The 33P has a radioactive period of 25.3 days. It is a pure β-transmitter. 33P is used as an alternative to 32P in research in molecular biology. Indeed, its longer life time and especially its less energetic β spectrum make its manipulation simpler in the laboratory. In the medical field, 33P has been used in the treatment of arterial stenosis but is no longer indicated at this time.
External links
Phosphorus isotopes data from The Berkeley Laboratory Isotopes Project's