NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Radium in the environment

See the story of Eben Byers for details of one very nasty case which involved a product called Radithor this contained 1 mCi of ²²⁶Ra and 1 mCi of ²²⁸Ra per bottle. Radithor was taken by mouth and as radium is a calcium mimic it has a very long biological halflife in bone. Eben McBurney Byers (April 12, 1880 - March 31, 1932) was a wealthy American socialite, athlete, and industrialist who earned notoriety in the 1930s after a gruesome illness and death caused by radiation poisoning resulting from the consumption of a popular patent medicine made from radium dissolved in water. ... Radithor was a well known patent medicine/snake oil that is possibly the best known example of radioactive quackery. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... The biological half life of a substance is the time required for half of that substance to be removed from an organism by either a physcial or a chemical process. ... Grays illustration of a human femur, a typically recognized bone. ...

Radium in the oil/gas industry

Residues from the oil and gas industry often contain radium and its daughters. The sulfate scale from an oil well can be very radium rich. It is the case that the water inside an oil field is often very rich in strontium, barium and radium while seawater is very rich in sulfate so if water from an oil well is discharged into the sea or mixed with seawater the radium is likely to be brought out of solution by the barium/strontium sulfate which acts as a carrier precipitate. Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra â€“ rock and elaion â€“ oil or Latin oleum â€“ oil ) or crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... Many stoves use natural gas. ... General Name, Symbol, Number radium, Ra, 88 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 7, s Appearance silvery white metallic Atomic mass (226) g/mol Electron configuration [Rn] 7s2 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ... General Name, Symbol, Number strontium, Sr, 38 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 5, s Appearance silvery white metallic Atomic mass 87. ... General Name, Symbol, Number barium, Ba, 56 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 6, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 137. ... General Name, Symbol, Number radium, Ra, 88 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 7, s Appearance silvery white metallic Atomic mass (226) g/mol Electron configuration [Rn] 7s2 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ... In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate (IUPAC-recommended spelling; also sulphate in British English) is a salt of sulfuric acid. ... In general, a carrier is a system or process with a specific property or is attributed of something (in physical or in abstract sense). ...

Glow in the dark products (radioluminescent)

Local contamination from radium based radioluminescent paints having been improperly disposed of is not unknown. [1] Radioluminescence is the phenomenon by which luminescence is produced in a material by the bombardment of ionizing radiation such as beta particles. ...

See also: Radium Girls The Radium Girls was the name given to women subjected to radiation exposure at the United States Radium Corporation factory, in Orange, New Jersey, beginning during World War I, five of whom gained notoriety for their efforts in challenging their employer in court. ...

Radon

The majority of the dose is caused by the decay of the polonium (²¹⁸Po) and lead (²¹⁴Pb) daughters from ²²²Rn. It is the case that by controlling the daughters that the dose to the skin and lungs can be reduced by at least 90%. This can be done by wearing a dust mask, and wearing a suit to cover the entire body. Note that exposure to smoke at the same time as radon and radon daughters will increase the harmful effect of the radon. In uranium miners radon has been found to be more carcinogenic in smokers than in non-smokers. General Name, Symbol, Number polonium, Po, 84 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 16, 6, p Appearance silvery Atomic mass (209) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 6 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ... General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ... A section of Human Skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system made up of a layer of tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... Smoke from a wildfire Smoke is a suspension in air (aerosol) of small particles resulting from incomplete combustion of a fuel. ... General Name, Symbol, Number radon, Rn, 86 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 6, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass (222) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 Physical properties Phase gas Melting point 202 K (-71 Â°C... Uranium mining is the process of extraction of Uranium from the ground. ... In pathology, a carcinogen is any substance or agent that promotes cancer. ... This word has other meanings: see smoker. ...

Occurrence of radon

On average, there is one atom of radon in 1 x 10²¹ molecules of air. Radon can be found in some spring waters and hot springs. The towns of Misasa, Japan, and Bad Kreuznach, Germany boast radium-rich springs which emit radon. Unsurprisingly, Radium Springs, New Mexico does too. A natural spring. ... Green Dragon Spring at Norris Geyser A hot spring is a place where warm or hot groundwater issues from the ground on a regular basis for at least a predictable part of the year, and is significantly above the ambient ground temperature (which is usually around 55~57 F or... Misasa (三朝町; -cho) is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Japan. ... The German Verbandsgemeinde of Bad Kreuznach_Land includes the villages of Volxheim, Hackenheim, Tiefenthal, Pleitersheim, Pfaffen-Schwabenheim, Biebelsheim, Neu-Bamberg, Frei-Laubersheim and Fürfeld. ... Radium Springs is a census-designated place located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. ...

Radon exhausts naturally from the ground, particularly in certain regions, especially but not only regions with granitic soils. Not all granitic regions are prone to high emissions of radon, for instance while the rock which Aberdeen is on is very radium rich the rock lacks the cracks required for the radon to migrate. In other near by areas of Scotland (to the north of Aberdeen) and in Cornwall/Devon the radon is very able to leave the rock. Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... This article is about the Scottish city. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county at the extreme South-West of England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ...

Radon is a decay product of radium which in turn is a decay product of uranium. It is possible to get maps of average radon levels in houses, these maps assist in the planning of radon mitigation measures for homes.[2] General Name, Symbol, Number radium, Ra, 88 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 7, s Appearance silvery white metallic Atomic mass (226) g/mol Electron configuration [Rn] 7s2 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ...

Image File history File links USradonmapforhouses. ...

Note that while high uranium in the soil/rock under a house does not always lead to a high radon level in air, a positive correlation between the uranium content of the soil and the radon level in air can be seen. SOiL is a five-piece heavy metal band from Chicago, formed in 1997. ... Sedimentary, volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic rock types of North America. ...

Image File history File links Uraniumdisstribution. ...

Radon in air

The danger of radon exposure in dwellings was discovered in 1984 by Stanley Watras, an employee at the Limerick nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Mr. Watras set off the radiation alarms (see Geiger counter) on his way into work for two weeks straight while authorities searched for the source of the contamination. They were shocked to find that the source was astonishingly high levels of Radon in his basement and it was not related to the nuclear plant. The risks associated with living in his house were estimated to be equivalent to smoking 35 packs of cigarettes every day.^{[citation needed]} A dwelling is a structure in which humans or other animals live. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Limerick nuclear power facility in Pennsylvania has two General Electric boiling water reactor (BWR) units, cooled by natural draft cooling towers. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq. ... Radiation has a variety of different meanings. ... Modern geiger counter. ... The Lachine Canal, in Montreal, is badly polluted Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ... A basement is a story or several stories of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. ... Various smoking equipment including different pipes, and cigars. ... A lit cigarette A full ashtray. ...

Radon in water

Well water can be very radon rich, the use of this water inside a house is an additional route allowing radon to enter the house. The radon can enter the air and then be a source of exposure to the humans, or the water can be consumed by humans which is a different exposure route.

Radon in the oil/gas industry

The water, oil and gas from a well often contains radon. The radon decays to form solid radioisotopes which form coatings on the inside of pipework. In an oil processing plant the area of the plant where propane is processed is often one of the more contaminated areas of the plant as radon has a similar boiling point as propane.[3] General Name, Symbol, Number radon, Rn, 86 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 6, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass (222) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 Physical properties Phase gas Melting point 202 K (-71 Â°C... Propane is a three-carbon alkane. ...

Radon in mines and caves

Because uranium minerals emit radon gas, and their harmful and highly radioactive daughter products, uranium mining is considerably more dangerous than other (already dangerous) hard rock mining, requiring adequate ventilation systems if the mines are not open pit. During the 1950s, a significant number of American uranium miners were Navajo Indians, as many uranium deposits were discovered on Navajo reservations. A statistically significant subset of these miners later developed small-cell lung cancer, a type of cancer usually not associated with smoking, after exposure to uranium ore and radon-222, a natural decay product of uranium.[4] The radon, which is produced by the uranium, and not the uranium itself has been shown to be the cancer causing agent. [5] Some survivors and their descendants received compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990. The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam. ... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong. ... General Name, Symbol, Number radon, Rn, 86 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 6, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass (222) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 Physical properties Phase gas Melting point 202 K (-71 Â°C... In nuclear physics, a decay product, also known as a daughter product, is a nuclide resulting from the radioactive decay of a parent or precursor nuclide. ... Hard rock mining refers to various techniques used to mine ore bodies by creating underground rooms or stopes supported by surrounding pillars of standing rock. ... El Chino, located near Silver City, New Mexico, is an open-pit copper mine Open-pit mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow. ... Navajo hunters outside Sam Days Trading Post in 1887 The Navajo Nation (Navajo: NaabeehÃ³ DineÃ©) is a sovereign Native American Tribe of Indians, traditionally known as, DinÃ©. The Navajo Indian Reservation covers about 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometres) of land, occupying all of northeastern Arizona, and... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Small cell carcinoma is a type of carcinoma usually associated with the lung, though it can be associated with other topographies, such as in cervical cancer. ... General Name, Symbol, Number radon, Rn, 86 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 6, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass (222) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 Physical properties Phase gas Melting point 202 K (-71 Â°C... The United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is a federal statute providing for the monetary compensation of people who contracted cancer and a number of other specified diseases as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing undertaken by the United States during the Cold War, or...

Currently the level of radon in the air of mines is normally controlled by law. In a working mine, the radon level can be controlled by ventilation, sealing off old workings and controlling the water in the mine. The level in a mine can go up when a mine is abandoned, it can reach a level which is able to cause the skin to become red (a mild radiation burn). The radon levels in some of the mines can reach 400 to 700 kBq m^-3. This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Ventilation good and very bad Ventilation is air circulation of air, typically between a room, a tunnel, etc. ... A section of Human Skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system made up of a layer of tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs. ... Red is any of a number of similar colors at the lowest frequencies of light discernible by the human eye. ... A radiation burn is damage to the skin or other biological tissue caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. ...

A common unit of exposure of lung tissue to alpha emitters is the Working level month (WLM), this is where the human lungs have been exposed for 170 hours (a typical month worth of work for a miner) to air which has 3.7 kBq of ²²²Rn (in equilibrium with its decay products). This is air which has the alpha dose rate of 1 working level (WL). It is estimated that the average person (general public) is subject to 0.2 WLM per year, which works out at about 15 to 20 WLM in a lifetime. According to the NRC 1 WLM is a 5 to 10 mSv lung dose (0.5 to 1.0 REM), while the OECD consider that 1 WLM is equal to a lung dose of 5.5 mSv, the ICRP consider 1 WLM to be a 5 mSv lung dose for professional workers (and 4 mSv lung dose for the general public). Lastly the UN (UNSCEAR) consider that the exposure of the lungs to 1 Bq of ²²²Rn (in equilibrium with its decay products) for one year will cause a dose of 61 μSv. This overview of the working level month is based upon the book by Jiří Hála and James D. Navratil (ISBN 807302053-x). Alpha may refer to: The Greek letter alpha Alpha (letter), a letter in the Greek alphabet. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... The band General Public formed after the 1983 break-up of The Beat (see 1983 in music). ... REM is an acronym for: Rapid eye movement, a phase in sleep Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, a museum about ancient Egypt RÃ¶ntgen equivalent man, a unit for measuring levels of exposure to radiation REM may also refer to: R.E.M. (band), an American rock music band formed in Athens... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ...

In humans a relationship between lung cancer and radon has been shown at exist (beloynd all reasonable doubt) for exposures of 100 WLM and above. By using the data from several studies it has been possible to show that an increased risk can be caused by a dose as low as 15 to 20 WLM. Sadly these studies have been difficult as the random errors in the data are very large. It is likely that the miners are also subject to other effects which can harm their lungs while at work (for example dust and diesel fumes). Lung cancer is a cancer of the lungs characterized by the presence of malignant tumours. ... Diesel or Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used as fuel in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel. ...

Radon References

A.R. Denman, J.P. Eatough, G. Gillmore and P.S. Phillips, Assessment of Health Risks To Skin and Lung Of Elevated Radon Level in Abandoned Mines, Health Physics, 2003, 85, 733.

G.K. Gillmore, P. Phillips, A. Denman, M Sperrin and G. Pearse, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2001, 49, 281.

Radioactivity, ionizing radiation and Nuclear Energy, Jiří Hála and James D. Navratil, Chapter 8 (Radioactivity and ionizing radiation in the environment), ISBN 807302053-x.

J.H. Lubin and J.D. Boice, Journal Natl. Cancer Inst., 1997, 89, 49. (Risks of indoor radon)

N.M. Hurley and J.H. Hurley, Environment International, 1986, 12, 39. (Lung cancer in uranium miners as a function of radon exposure).

Radon in houses

Depending on how houses are built and ventilated, radon may accumulate in basements and dwellings. The European Union recommends that action should be taken starting from concentrations of 400 Bq/m³ for old houses, and 200 Bq/m³ for new ones. The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of radioactivity, defined as the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. ...

The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) recommends action for any house with a concentration higher than 8 pCi/L. A network computer is a lightweight computer system that operates exclusively via a network connection. ... The curie (symbol Ci) is a former unit of radioactivity, defined as 3. ...

The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends action for any house with a concentration higher than 148 Bq/m³ (given as 4 pCi/L). Nearly one in 15 homes in the U.S. has a high level of indoor radon according to their statistics. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend all homes be tested for radon. Since 1985, millions of homes have been tested for radon in the U.S. EPA redirects here. ... The curie (symbol Ci) is a former unit of radioactivity, defined as 3. ...

By adding a crawl space under the ground floor, which is subject to forced ventillation the radon level in the house can be lowered.[6]

Contents

Radium in quack medicine