The half-life is the time it takes for half the atoms of an element to decay. The various isotopes also have different principal decay modes. Table 2 shows a summary of the radiological properties of five plutonium isotopes. The isotopes of plutonium that are relevant to the nuclear and commercial industries decay by the emission of alpha particles, beta particles, or spontaneous fission. Gamma radiation , which is penetrating electromagnetic radiation, is often associated with alpha and beta decays .
Various sources give slightly different figures for half-lives and energies.
A little spontaneous fission occurs in most plutonium isotopes. Chemical properties and hazards of plutonium. Table 3 describes the chemical properties of plutonium in air. These properties are important because they affect the safety of storage and of operation during processing of plutonium. The oxidation of plutonium represents a health hazard since the resulting stable compound, plutonium dioxide is in particulate form that can be easily inhaled.