Abstract
From the point of view of environmental research the significance of natural radioactive elements in the environment is twofold: one is the effects of ionizing radiation from these radionuclides to organisms living on the earth, especially man, and the other is the possible applications of natural radionuclides existing in situ as tracers for understanding geochemical processes which govern the distribution and fate of various pollutants in the environment. Although, of these two topics, the radiation effects may be more directly related to the health of the environment for man, this subject will be discussed only briefly in the present chapter, since it is practically impossible to reduce the natural radiation hazards by any means as long as man lives on the space-ship “Earth,” and the present situation should be accepted. Thus, the scope of the chapter is focussed on the basis of the characteristics of natural radionuclides and their abundance in the environment to give a concise review of how one can take advantage of their presence in situ for a better understanding of complicated processes taking place within the environment. Accordingly, the discussions which follow emphasize the introduction of a fundamental conept of time-scale measurements into environmental studies, rather than attempt a comprehensive literature coverage.
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Fukai, R., Yokoyama, Y. (1982). Natural Radionuclides in the Environment. In: The Natural Environment and the Biogeochemical Cycles. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 1 / 1B. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38597-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38597-4_2
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