RADIOACTIVITY IN NATURE

https://radinf.physics.isu.edu/radioactivity-in-nature

Radioactivity is a physical phenomenon which occurs when an unstable nucleus of an atom

transforms itself through a radioactive decay, reaching a new condition of
stability.Radionuclides (radioactive elemants) are found naturally in air, water and soil.
They are even found in us, being that we are products of our environment. There is
nowhere on Earth that you can not find Natural Radioactivity.

Three general categories of radioactive elements:

1. Primordial
2. Cosmogenic
3. Human produced

Primordial radionuclides
Primordial radionuclides are left over from when the world and the universe were created.
They are typically long lived hundreds of millions of years.
Uranium 235- 235U , Radium226-226Ra , Potassium 40-40K , Radon 222-222Rn...ect

Radon is a radioactive, colourless, odourless and tasteless noble gas that escapes from
rocks such as granite, having decayed from uranium-bearing minerals. It is one of the main
sources of natural radioactivity.

Cosmogenic
Cosmic radiation permeates all of space, the source being primarily outside of our solar
system. The radiation is in many forms, from high speed heavy particles to high energy
photons and muons. The upper atmosphere interacts with many of the cosmic radiations,
and produces radioactive nuclides. They can have long half-lives, but the majority have
shorter half-lives than the primordial nuclides.
Carbon 14-14C , Hydrogen 3-3H , Beryllium 7-7Be...ect

Human Produced
Humans have used radioactivity for one hundred years, and through its use, added to the
natural inventories. The amounts are small compared to the natural amounts discussed
above, and due to the shorter half-lives of many of the nuclides, have seen a marked
decrease since the halting of above ground testing of nuclear weapons.
Iodine131-131I , Iodine129-129I , Cesium137-137Cs ... ect

https://www.fe.infn.it/radioactivity/educational/basics.html

https://www.bfs.de/EN/topics/ion/environment/introduction/introduction_node.html :
Natural radiation exposure
Natural radiation exposure comprises internal and external components. The internal
component constitutes the main part of natural radiation exposure. It accounts for two
thirds of the total natural radiation exposure, the external component for one third.

Intrnal:

Intake through breathing

The largest proportion of natural radiation exposure stems from inhaling the radioactive
gas radon and its decay products.

Intake through food

Through food, natural radionuclides from the radioactive decay chains of thorium
and uranium, as well as potassium-40 are absorbed.

Extrnal:

Cosmic radiation
A substantial part of the ionising radiation people are exposed to, originates from cosmic
radiation. It reaches the earth from the sun and from deep space and is mainly composed of
high energy particles and gamma radiation.

Terrestrial radiation
Terrestrial radiation is a further component of the external radiation exposure. It arises
from natural radioactive materials present in soils and strata of the Earth's crust and differ
vastly across different regions.

https://www.epa.gov/radtown/natural-radioactivity-food :

About Natural Radioactivity in Food

Some foods contain small amounts of radioactive elements. Food can gain this radioactivity
in a few ways:

 Uptake: roots of plants take in radionuclides from the soil.

 Deposition: radioactive particles in the air settle onto crops.
 Bioaccumulation: radionuclides accumulate in animals that ingest plants, feed, or
water containing radioactive material.

The most well known examples of naturally-occurring radionuclides in foods are bananas
and Brazil nuts. Bananas have naturally high-levels of potassium and a small fraction of all
potassium is radioactive. Each banana can emit .01 millirem (0.1 microsieverts) of
radiation. This is a very small amount of radiation. To put that in context, you would need
to eat about 100 bananas to receive the same amount of radiation exposure as you get each
day in United States from natural radiation in the environment. Like bananas, Brazil nuts
contain potassium with similar small amount of radiation.

Natural radiation in food does not require any special actions because the radiation levels
are extremely low.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiotrophic_fungus :

Radiotrophic fungi

Ovdje bi htjela da samo pustimo video u vezi radioaktivnih gljiva bez da mi pričamo o
tome , taj video bi bio ovaj: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL5Ot9ws1IA video je od
6 minuta , ali je rekla profa da ne gleda previše u minute .

U slučaju ako želite da prođemo ovaj dio mi sami:

Radiotrophic fungi are fungi that can perform the hypothetical biological process
called radiosynthesis , which means using ionizing radiation as an energy source to drive
metabolism. This fungi use at some capacity melanin for radiosynthasis.

Many fungi have been isolated from the area around the destroyed Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant. fungi will preferentially grow in the direction of the source of beta and gamma
ionizing radiation. Other melanin-rich fungi were discovered in the cooling water from
some other, working, nuclear reactors. The light-absorbing compound in the fungus cell
membranes had the effect of turning the water black.

Use in human spaceflight:

It is hypothesized that radiotrophic fungi could potentially be used as a shield to protect

against radiation, specifically in affiliation to the use of astronauts in space or other
atmospheres.

https://weather.com/en-IN/india/environment/news/2020-11-25-how-discovered-
meghalayan-mushroom-species-glow :

Are these mushrooms radioactive? No, enzyme named luciferase is responsible for the
mushroom's luminescent glow.

Animals and radioactivity:

Dogs of Chernobyl

Today dogs of Chernobyl come from abandoned pets from nucular distaster. While
difrent kinds of pets died, dogs began to thrive following years. When you see dogs they
don’t look like you would think animal would look after radioactive exposure, they are
totally normal looking. Most of them are looking like mix of german sheprad and
retriever, their fur can have veriaty of colors from white black brown and orange. Their
average life span is from 1 year up to 3 years, its short not because of radioactivity
around them rather hrush Ukrainian winters and lack of food.

Yes you can pet dogs there , you just have to wash your hands later.

To see more about Chernobyl dogs watch video Chernobyl Created the World's Rarest
Dogs by chanel Kyle Hill :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmVGwOP_zi8

Sea turtles of Enewetak Atoll

Radiactive compaundas were found in their shell, at that eria USA tested its nucular
wepons in worl war II.

Wild boars of Bavaria, Germany

Weapons tests also spread contamination by shooting thick swells of radiated dust and
ash called fallout into the upper atmosphere, where it can circle the planet and settle in
distant environments.

The boars became contaminated through eating truffles, which absorbed radiation from
nuclear fallout that settled into the nearby ground.

Some other animals effected with radiation because of humans: Reindeer of Norway and
Macacques of Japan.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/radioactive-animals-nuclear-
testing-disasters