Radioactivity in the Environment, Second Edition, presents the facts on the presence of both natural and manmade radionuclides in the environment. Sources of ionizing radiation that can lead to human exposure are discussed, including natural sources, nuclear explosions, nuclear power generation, the use of radiation in medical, industrial and research purposes, and radiation-emitting consumer products. In this thoroughly updated edition, users will find new sections on developments in radioactive nuclides in nature and technologically modified exposure to natural radiation, new threats by terrorist individuals, groups and countries, changes to the status of nuclear power in the world, and more. Additional new sections cover radioisotopes in geo-prospecting and the oil industry, the use of radiation in environmental protection, detector types and detectors used for personal dosimetry, the "Dirty Bomb", the Fukushima accident, and North Korea testing sites and nuclear capabilities.

Presents new trends and the state-of-the-art in a field that's growing. Provides an overview of numerous applications of such accelerators in medicine, industry, earth sciences, nuclear non-proliferation, and oil. It fills a gap, and the author draws on his own experiences with transporting such relatively large machines from one lab to the other which requires a tremendous amount of planning, technical and engineering efforts.

The primary purpose of this book is to prepare the ground for coordinated efforts aiming to answer the question: where and when life originated. The appearance of life involves three successive stages: i) the formation of chemical elements and their combination to simple molecules, which is the concern of physicists; ii) the evolution of organized complexity in biomolecules and their reactions, which falls within the field of chemistry; iii) the onset of Darwinian evolution after the appearance of the first cell-like structure, which is studied by biologists. This book focuses on the first two steps of this process with chapters exploring topics such as chemical element abundances; galaxies, galactic magnetic fields and cosmic rays; galactic chemical evolution. Key Features: Contains extensive lists of reference and additional reading. Includes new hypotheses concerning the origin of life. Combines consideration from nuclear physics, astrophysics, astro- and geochemistry. Despite its interdisciplinary nature, this book remains accessible to nonexperts, and would be a valuable companion for both experts and laypeople.

Numerous sources of ionizing radiation can lead to human exposure: natural sources, nuclear explosions, nuclear power generation, use of radiation in medical, industrial and research purposes, and radiation emitting consumer products. Before assessing the radiation dose to a population one requires a precise knowledge of the activity of a number of radionuclides. The basis for the assessment of the dose to a population from a release of radioactivity to the environment, the estimation of the potential clinical heath effects due to the dose received and, ultimately, the implementation of countermeasures to protect the population, is the measurement of radioactive contamination in the environment after the release.
It is the purpose of this book to present the facts about the presence of radionuclides in the environment, natural and man made. There is no aspect of radioactivity, which has marked the passing century, not mentioned or discussed in this book.