IChO 2015 · Theory problem 5

Indispensable glucose

Carbohydrates are the most important providers of energy for living cells. Monosaccharide glucose is a source of energy for the living cell, but for persons who suffer from diabetes glucose may be dangerous. High level of glucose may lead to cardiovascular diseases and even death. That is why people avoid consuming too much carbohydrates and glucose particularly.

A. Determination of reducing sugars in fruit juice

One of the technique for determination of reducing sugars in different samples includes the use of Fehling's reagent. A \(10.00\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) aliquot of fruit juice (assuming the initial sample contained only glucose and fructose) was transferred into a titration flask and Fehling's reagent was added. This reagent was prepared by mixing \(50.00\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) of copper sulfate solution, \(c = 0.04000\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) (solution A) and potassium-sodium tartrate and sodium hydroxide (solution B). Solution C thus obtained, was then heated and red precipitate was formed.

Figure 1

Glucose

5.1 Write the balanced ionic equation of chemical reaction occurring upon heating of the solution C. Use \(\ce{Cu^2+}\) for initial copper solution.

After that \(10\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) of 10% solution of potassium iodide and sulfuric acid solution (\(c = = 1\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)) were added to the flask. The mixture was covered with watch glass and was then placed in a dark place. An excess of iodine was then titrated with sodium thiosulphate solution (\(c = 0.05078\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)). A volume of \(11.87\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) of the titrant was required to reach the endpoint.

5.2 Write the balanced equation(s) in molecular or ionic form for all the reactions taking place in the flask.

5.3 Consider that all fructose was transformed into glucose under the experimental conditions. Calculate the total mass concentration of sugars (in \(\mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}\)) in a fruit juice.

\(M = 180.16\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\).

A new \(10.00\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) aliquot of the same juice was treated with a \(10.00\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) portion of acidified potassium iodate(V) solution (\(0.01502\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)) and \(10\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) of 10 % solution of potassium iodide. After the mixture turned brown, an excess of sodium hydroxide solution was added. The flask was then covered with a watch glass and put into a dark place. The obtained solution was acidified and titrated with a solution of sodium thiosulphate (\(c = 0.01089\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)). The average titrant volume used for titration was \(23.43\ \mathrm{cm^3}\). Note that fructose is not converted into glucose under these conditions.

5.4 Write all the balanced equations for the described reactions in molecular or ionic form.

5.5 Calculate the mass concentration of each sugar (in \(\mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}\)) in the juice.

5.6 One bread exchange unit (1 BEU) corresponds to the content of \(12\ \mathrm{g}\) of digestible carbohydrates in a product. How many BEU are in one glass (\(200\ \mathrm{cm^3}\)) of juice?

B. Diagnosis of diseases

The derivative of glucose, 2-deoxy-2-(\(\ce{^{18}F}\))fluoro-D-glucose (FDG), is the most common radiopharmaceutical for diagnosis of cancer using positron emission tomography. The first step of FDG preparation is to produce a radionuclide fluoro-18 by nuclear reaction in a cyclotron. The next step is the radiochemical synthesis. Fluorine-18 is introduced into D-glucose molecule by nucleophilic substitution. 2-deoxy-2-(\(\ce{^{18}F}\))fluoro-D-glucose once injected into the patient actively accumulates in cells of malignant tumors; this process is accompanied by decomposition of fluorine-18. This radionuclide is a \(\beta^+\) emitter – nucleus emits a positron (anti-electron). Positron interacts with an electron and after that annihilation occurs, which can be detected. This allows determining precisely the tumor sizes and type.

5.7 Complete the nuclear reactions leading to various fluorine isotopes.

Figure 2

5.8 The decay mode of unstable light nuclei depends on the ratio between the number of neutrons and protons in them. If this ratio is greater than that for a stable isotope then the nucleus decays in a \(\beta^-\)-mode, if it is smaller – in a \(\beta^+\)-mode.

Determine the type of decay for the nuclei in the table:

Nucleus \(\ce{^{11}C}\) \(\ce{^{20}F}\) \(\ce{^{17}F}\) \(\ce{^{14}C}\)
Decay mode

When nuclear reaction (a) is used for fluorine-18 preparation, the target material is presented as water enriched with \(\ce{H2^{18}O}\). The presence of usual water \(\ce{H2^{16}O}\) leads to a side nuclear reaction with \(\ce{^{16}O}\), leading to the formation of isotope \(\ce{^{17}F}\).

5.9 It is known that within five minutes after completion of irradiation of the target the ratio of radioactivities of \(\ce{^{18}F}\) and \(\ce{^{17}F}\) is \(1\cdot10^5\). Assuming that irradiation time is short, the radioactivity of each isotope is proportional to the nuclear reaction yield and the mole fraction of a component in the irradiated target, calculate the mass fraction of \(\ce{H2^{18}O}\) in the target. \(t_{1/2}(\ce{^{18}F}) = 109.7\) minutes, \(t_{1/2}(\ce{^{17}F}) = 65\) seconds. The ratio between nuclear reactions yields is \[ \eta_{\ce{^{18}O}-\ce{^{18}F}}/ \eta_{\ce{^{16}O}-\ce{^{17}F}}=144.7. \]

5.10 Calculate the yield of labeling D-glucose with fluorine-18, if initial radioactivity of a fluorine-18 sample was \(600.0\ \mathrm{MBq}\) and radioactivity of the obtained 2-deoxy-2-(\(\ce{^{18}F}\))fluoro-D-glucose is \(528.2\ \mathrm{MBq}\). Synthesis time is 3.5 minutes.

5.11 Biological half-life (through the excretory organs) of 2-deoxy-2-(\(\ce{^{18}F}\))fluoro-D-glucose is 120.0 minutes. How much radioactivity (in MBq) will remain in the patient ten hours after injection of FDG with the initial radioactivity of \(450.0\ \mathrm{MBq}\).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

Names and SMILES for the chemical species appearing below are collected at the beginning of the Solution.

  • 5.1 \[ \boxed{\ce{C6H12O6 + 2Cu^2+ + 5OH- -> C6H11O7- + Cu2O(s) + 3H2O}} \] Glucose is oxidized to D-gluconate; the red precipitate is copper(I) oxide.

  • 5.2 The principal reactions are \[ \ce{2Cu^2+ + 4I- -> 2CuI(s) + I2}, \] \[ \ce{Cu2O(s) + 2H+ + 2I- -> 2CuI(s) + H2O}, \] \[ \ce{I2 + 2S2O3^2- -> 2I- + S4O6^2-}. \] Acid–base reactions and iodine speciation are included in the detailed solution.

  • 5.3 \[ \boxed{\rho_{\mathrm{total}}=12.59\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}} \]

  • 5.4 The analytical reaction sequence is \[ \ce{IO3- + 5I- + 6H+ -> 3I2 + 3H2O}, \] \[ \ce{I2 + 2OH- -> I- + IO- + H2O}, \] \[ \ce{C6H12O6 + IO- + OH- -> C6H11O7- + I- + H2O}, \] \[ \ce{IO- + I- + 2H+ -> I2 + H2O}, \] \[ \ce{I2 + 2S2O3^2- -> 2I- + S4O6^2-}. \] Possible hypoiodite disproportionation and the acid–base reactions are given below.

  • 5.5 \[ \boxed{\rho_{\mathrm{glucose}}=5.820\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}} \qquad \boxed{\rho_{\mathrm{fructose}}=6.767\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}} \]

  • 5.6 \[ \boxed{0.210\ \mathrm{BEU}\text{ per }200\ \mathrm{cm^3}\text{ glass}} \]

  • 5.7 Missing particles or nuclei:
    (a) neutron, \(\ce{^{1}_{0}n}\);
    (b) neon-20, \(\ce{^{20}_{10}Ne}\);
    (c) proton, \(\ce{^{1}_{1}H}\);
    (d) alpha particle, \(\ce{^{4}_{2}He}\).

  • 5.8

Nucleus \(\ce{^{11}C}\) \(\ce{^{20}F}\) \(\ce{^{17}F}\) \(\ce{^{14}C}\)
Decay mode \(\beta^+\) \(\beta^-\) \(\beta^+\) \(\beta^-\)
  • 5.9 Including the decay-constant ratio when converting nuclear-production yields into activities, \[ \boxed{w(\ce{H2^{18}O})\approx0.999695\approx99.97\%}. \]

  • 5.10 \[ \boxed{\text{Decay-corrected labeling yield}=90.0\%} \]

  • 5.11 \[ \boxed{A(10\ \mathrm{h})\approx0.317\ \mathrm{MBq}} \]

Solution

The following identities and SMILES apply throughout. The carbohydrate SMILES describe open-chain forms, with the stereochemistry retained from D-glucose. They do not specify the populations or conformations of cyclic forms in solution.

Name Formula SMILES
D-Glucose \(\ce{C6H12O6}\) O=C[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)CO
D-Fructose \(\ce{C6H12O6}\) OCC(=O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)CO
D-Gluconate \(\ce{C6H11O7-}\) O=C([O-])[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)CO
D-Gluconic acid \(\ce{C6H12O7}\) O=C(O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)CO
2-Deoxy-2-(fluorine-18)fluoro-D-glucose, FDG \(\ce{C6H11^{18}FO5}\) O=C[C@H]([18F])[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)CO
Water \(\ce{H2O}\) O
Oxygen-18 water \(\ce{H2^{18}O}\) [18OH2]
Oxygen-16 water \(\ce{H2^{16}O}\) [16OH2]
Copper(II) ion \(\ce{Cu^2+}\) [Cu+2]
Copper(I) oxide \(\ce{Cu2O}\) [Cu+].[Cu+].[O-2]
Copper(I) iodide \(\ce{CuI}\) [Cu+].[I-]
Hydrogen ion, aqueous proton \(\ce{H+}\) [H+]
Hydroxide ion \(\ce{OH-}\) [OH-]
Iodide ion \(\ce{I-}\) [I-]
Iodine \(\ce{I2}\) II
Triiodide ion \(\ce{I3-}\) I[I-]I
Iodate(V) ion \(\ce{IO3-}\) [O-]I(=O)=O
Hypoiodite ion \(\ce{IO-}\) [O-]I
Thiosulfate ion \(\ce{S2O3^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)[S-]
Tetrathionate ion \(\ce{S4O6^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)SSS(=O)(=O)[O-]

The copper(I) compounds are extended solids: their dot-separated SMILES give ionic formula units, not crystal structures. Triiodide is approximately linear; its SMILES does not encode that geometry or its delocalized bonding. Nuclear notation below describes nuclei and elementary particles, for which molecular SMILES are not applicable.

5.1 — Reaction with Fehling’s reagent

The aldehyde group of open-chain glucose is oxidized to a carboxylate group, releasing two electrons:

\[ \ce{C6H12O6 + 3OH- -> C6H11O7- + 2H2O + 2e-}. \]

Two copper(II) ions each accept one electron, forming copper(I) oxide:

\[ \ce{2Cu^2+ + 2OH- + 2e- -> Cu2O(s) + H2O}. \]

Adding the half-reactions gives

\[ \boxed{\ce{C6H12O6 + 2Cu^2+ + 5OH- -> C6H11O7- + Cu2O(s) + 3H2O}}. \]

Thus, one mole of glucose consumes two moles of copper(II). Under the stated experimental assumption, fructose is converted into glucose and contributes the same reducing capacity.

5.2 — Addition of acid and iodide, followed by titration

Residual copper(II) oxidizes iodide to iodine. The copper(I) produced precipitates as copper(I) iodide:

\[ \boxed{\ce{2Cu^2+ + 4I- -> 2CuI(s) + I2}}. \]

The copper(I) oxide already formed also becomes copper(I) iodide:

\[ \boxed{\ce{Cu2O(s) + 2H+ + 2I- -> 2CuI(s) + H2O}}. \]

This second reaction produces no iodine, because copper remains in oxidation state \(+1\).

Iodine is titrated with thiosulfate, producing tetrathionate:

\[ \boxed{\ce{I2 + 2S2O3^2- -> 2I- + S4O6^2-}}. \]

Acid addition also neutralizes hydroxide and protonates gluconate:

\[ \ce{H+ + OH- -> H2O}, \] \[ \ce{C6H11O7- + H+ <=> C6H12O7}. \]

In excess iodide, iodine participates in the equilibrium

\[ \ce{I2 + I- <=> I3-}. \]

The equivalent titration equation is then

\[ \ce{I3- + 2S2O3^2- -> 3I- + S4O6^2-}. \]

Either iodine representation gives the same analytical relationship:

\[ \boxed{n(\text{residual }\ce{Cu^2+})=n(\ce{S2O3^2-})}. \]

5.3 — Total mass concentration of sugars

The initial amount of copper(II) is

\[ n_{\mathrm{Cu},0} =(0.04000\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}) (0.05000\ \mathrm{dm^3}) =2.000\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The amount of thiosulfate used is

\[ n_{\mathrm{thio}} =(0.05078)(0.01187) =6.027586\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

This equals the residual amount of copper(II). Therefore, using the two-to-one copper-to-sugar stoichiometry,

\[ \begin{aligned} n_{\mathrm{glucose}}+n_{\mathrm{fructose}} &=\frac{n_{\mathrm{Cu},0}-n_{\mathrm{thio}}}{2}\\ &=\frac{2.000\times10^{-3}-6.027586\times10^{-4}}{2}\\ &=6.986207\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \end{aligned} \]

Both sugars have the given molar mass. The total mass concentration is

\[ \begin{aligned} \rho_{\mathrm{total}} &=\frac{(6.986207\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}) (180.16\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}})} {0.01000\ \mathrm{dm^3}}\\ &=12.58635\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}. \end{aligned} \]

\[ \boxed{\rho_{\mathrm{total}}=12.59\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}} \]

5.4 — Selective determination of glucose

Acidified iodate oxidizes iodide, generating iodine:

\[ \boxed{\ce{IO3- + 5I- + 6H+ -> 3I2 + 3H2O}}. \]

Addition of excess hydroxide neutralizes the acid,

\[ \ce{H+ + OH- -> H2O}, \]

and converts iodine into iodide and hypoiodite:

\[ \boxed{\ce{I2 + 2OH- -> I- + IO- + H2O}}. \]

Hypoiodite oxidizes glucose to gluconate:

\[ \boxed{\ce{C6H12O6 + IO- + OH- -> C6H11O7- + I- + H2O}}. \]

Combining the last two oxidation-related equations gives

\[ \boxed{\ce{C6H12O6 + I2 + 3OH- -> C6H11O7- + 2I- + 2H2O}}. \]

Consequently, one mole of glucose consumes one mole of iodine. Fructose has a ketone group and, under the explicitly stated conditions, does not isomerize into glucose; it therefore does not contribute to this determination.

After the reaction, acidification regenerates iodine from unused hypoiodite:

\[ \boxed{\ce{IO- + I- + 2H+ -> I2 + H2O}}. \]

Hypoiodite can also disproportionate:

\[ \ce{3IO- -> IO3- + 2I-}. \]

Any iodate formed by this process regenerates iodine upon acidification through the first equation of this part. Thus, this redistribution does not change the number of remaining oxidizing equivalents.

Acidification also neutralizes remaining hydroxide and protonates gluconate:

\[ \ce{H+ + OH- -> H2O}, \qquad \ce{C6H11O7- + H+ <=> C6H12O7}. \]

Finally, the regenerated iodine is titrated:

\[ \boxed{\ce{I2 + 2S2O3^2- -> 2I- + S4O6^2-}}. \]

The triiodide equilibrium described in 5.2 also applies.

5.5 — Concentrations of glucose and fructose

Initially,

\[ n(\ce{IO3-}) =(0.01502\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}) (0.01000\ \mathrm{dm^3}) =1.502\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Each mole of iodate generates three moles of iodine:

\[ n_{\ce{I2},0} =3(1.502\times10^{-4}) =4.506\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The second titration consumes

\[ n_{\mathrm{thio},2} =(0.01089)(0.02343) =2.551527\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Hence the remaining iodine equivalent is

\[ n_{\ce{I2},\mathrm{remaining}} =\frac{n_{\mathrm{thio},2}}{2} =1.2757635\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The difference gives the amount of glucose in the aliquot:

\[ \begin{aligned} n_{\mathrm{glucose}} &=4.506\times10^{-4}-1.2757635\times10^{-4}\\ &=3.2302365\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \end{aligned} \]

Therefore,

\[ \rho_{\mathrm{glucose}} =\frac{(3.2302365\times10^{-4})(180.16)} {0.01000} =5.819594\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}, \]

so

\[ \boxed{\rho_{\mathrm{glucose}}=5.820\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

Using the unrounded total from 5.3,

\[ \rho_{\mathrm{fructose}} =12.5863505-5.8195941 =6.7667564\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}, \]

and hence

\[ \boxed{\rho_{\mathrm{fructose}}=6.767\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

5.6 — Bread exchange units

The sugar mass in one glass is

\[ m=(12.58635\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}) (0.200\ \mathrm{dm^3}) =2.51727\ \mathrm{g}. \]

Thus,

\[ N_{\mathrm{BEU}} =\frac{2.51727\ \mathrm{g}} {12\ \mathrm{g\,BEU^{-1}}} =0.209773\ \mathrm{BEU}. \]

\[ \boxed{N_{\mathrm{BEU}}\approx0.210\ \mathrm{BEU}} \]

5.7 — Nuclear reactions

Both mass number \(A\) and atomic number \(Z\) must be conserved. The deuteron written as \(\ce{^{2}_{1}D}\) in the figure is written below as \(\ce{^{2}_{1}H}\).

(a) The missing particle has \(A=18+1-18=1\) and \(Z=8+1-9=0\), identifying a neutron:

\[ \boxed{\ce{^{18}_{8}O + ^{1}_{1}H -> ^{1}_{0}n + ^{18}_{9}F}}. \]

(b) The missing target nucleus has \(A=18+4-2=20\) and \(Z=9+2-1=10\), identifying neon-20:

\[ \boxed{\ce{^{20}_{10}Ne + ^{2}_{1}H -> ^{18}_{9}F + ^{4}_{2}He}}. \]

(c) The missing particle has \(A=19+2-20=1\) and \(Z=9+1-9=1\), identifying a proton:

\[ \boxed{\ce{^{19}_{9}F + ^{2}_{1}H -> ^{20}_{9}F + ^{1}_{1}H}}. \]

(d) The missing projectile has \(A=18+1+1-16=4\) and \(Z=9+1-8=2\), identifying an alpha particle:

\[ \boxed{\ce{^{16}_{8}O + ^{4}_{2}He -> ^{18}_{9}F + ^{1}_{1}H + ^{1}_{0}n}}. \]

5.8 — Decay modes

A neutron-rich nucleus can lower its neutron-to-proton ratio by \(\beta^-\) decay, which converts a neutron into a proton. A proton-rich nucleus can increase that ratio by \(\beta^+\) decay, which converts a proton into a neutron.

Stable carbon isotopes include \(\ce{^{12}C}\) and \(\ce{^{13}C}\), with neutron-to-proton ratios \(1\) and \(7/6\). Stable fluorine is \(\ce{^{19}F}\), with ratio \(10/9\).

Nucleus \(Z\) \(N\) \(N/Z\) Comparison with stable isotope(s) Decay
\(\ce{^{11}C}\) 6 5 \(5/6\) Proton-rich \(\beta^+\)
\(\ce{^{20}F}\) 9 11 \(11/9\) Neutron-rich \(\beta^-\)
\(\ce{^{17}F}\) 9 8 \(8/9\) Proton-rich \(\beta^+\)
\(\ce{^{14}C}\) 6 8 \(8/6\) Neutron-rich \(\beta^-\)

The corresponding nuclear equations, including electron neutrinos or antineutrinos, are

\[ \ce{^{11}_{6}C -> ^{11}_{5}B + ^{0}_{+1}e}+\nu_e, \] \[ \ce{^{20}_{9}F -> ^{20}_{10}Ne + ^{0}_{-1}e}+\bar{\nu}_e, \] \[ \ce{^{17}_{9}F -> ^{17}_{8}O + ^{0}_{+1}e}+\nu_e, \] \[ \ce{^{14}_{6}C -> ^{14}_{7}N + ^{0}_{-1}e}+\bar{\nu}_e. \]

5.9 — Mass fraction of oxygen-18 water

Let

\[ r=\frac{n(\ce{H2^{18}O})}{n(\ce{H2^{16}O})}. \]

For short irradiation, taking the quoted reaction yields to describe numbers of nuclei produced,

\[ \frac{N_{18}(0)}{N_{17}(0)}=144.7\,r. \]

Activity is \(A=\lambda N\). Therefore, immediately after irradiation,

\[ \frac{A_{18}(0)}{A_{17}(0)} =\frac{\lambda_{18}}{\lambda_{17}}\,144.7\,r. \]

After time \(t\),

\[ \frac{A_{18}(t)}{A_{17}(t)} =\frac{\lambda_{18}}{\lambda_{17}}\,144.7\,r \,e^{(\lambda_{17}-\lambda_{18})t}. \]

Using minutes throughout,

\[ \lambda_{18} =\frac{\ln2}{109.7} =0.00631857\ \mathrm{min^{-1}}, \] \[ \lambda_{17} =\frac{\ln2}{65/60} =0.639828\ \mathrm{min^{-1}}. \]

At \(t=5.00\ \mathrm{min}\),

\[ e^{(\lambda_{17}-\lambda_{18})t} =23.7492. \]

Thus the activity ratio at the end of irradiation was

\[ \frac{A_{18}(0)}{A_{17}(0)} =\frac{10^5}{23.7492} =4210.67. \]

Converting this activity ratio into the target mole ratio requires the decay-constant ratio:

\[ \begin{aligned} r &=\frac{4210.67}{144.7} \frac{\lambda_{17}}{\lambda_{18}}\\ &=\frac{4210.67}{144.7} \frac{109.7}{65/60}\\ &=2946.64. \end{aligned} \]

The corresponding mole fraction is

\[ x(\ce{H2^{18}O}) =\frac{r}{r+1} =0.9996607. \]

Using approximate isotopic-water molar masses of \(20\) and \(18\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\),

\[ \begin{aligned} w(\ce{H2^{18}O}) &=\frac{20r}{20r+18}\\ &=\frac{20(2946.64)}{20(2946.64)+18}\\ &=0.9996947. \end{aligned} \]

\[ \boxed{w(\ce{H2^{18}O})\approx99.97\%} \]

The factor \(\lambda_{18}/\lambda_{17}\) is essential here: equal numbers of the two radionuclides would not have equal activities.

5.10 — Decay-corrected labeling yield

The initial and product activities must be compared at the same time. With no chemical loss, the initial sample would have activity

\[ \begin{aligned} A_{\mathrm{available}}(3.5) &=600.0\,2^{-3.5/109.7}\\ &=586.8766\ \mathrm{MBq} \end{aligned} \]

at the end of synthesis.

Therefore, the fraction incorporated into FDG is

\[ Y =\frac{528.2}{586.8766} =0.9000188. \]

\[ \boxed{Y=90.0\%} \]

5.11 — Radioactivity remaining in the patient

Physical decay and biological elimination independently remove radioactive nuclei from the patient. Their first-order rate constants therefore add:

\[ \lambda_{\mathrm{eff}} =\lambda_{\mathrm{physical}}+\lambda_{\mathrm{biological}}. \]

Equivalently,

\[ \frac{1}{t_{1/2,\mathrm{eff}}} =\frac{1}{109.7}+\frac{1}{120.0}, \]

so

\[ t_{1/2,\mathrm{eff}}=57.3095\ \mathrm{min}. \]

For ten hours, \(t=600\ \mathrm{min}\), the remaining activity is

\[ \begin{aligned} A(t) &=450.0\, 2^{-600/109.7}\, 2^{-600/120.0}\\ &=450.0\,2^{-600/57.3095}\\ &=0.3173879\ \mathrm{MBq}. \end{aligned} \]

\[ \boxed{A(10\ \mathrm{h})\approx0.317\ \mathrm{MBq}} \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.