The sorption of U and Ra on finely ground biotite, muscovite, and phlogopite was adequately described by the Freundlich adsorption equation, (x/m) = KCn, at low U and Ra concentrations despite Ra precipitation at the higher temperature. Radium and U sorption-efficiency curves derived from the Freundlich constants generally showed decreased distribution coefficients in response to increasing temperature and increasing Ra or U concentrations. Temperatures investigated were 5°C, 25°C, and 65°C. Solution compositions used were 0.1 M NaCl and 0.01 M NaHCO, for U, and 0.01 M NaCl for Ra. Uranium initial solution concentrations ranged from 1.00 × 10−4 M to 4.00 × 10−7 M; the Ra initial solution concentration range was 6.80 × 10−7 M to 8.60 × 10−9 M.

In 0.01 M NaHCO3 solutions, anionic uranyl carbonate complexes were prevalent, and because they are weakly sorbed relative to free uranyl ion and uranyl hydroxy complexes, the result was a relatively low U sorption efficiency on biotite and phlogopite and excellent sorption efficiency on muscovite. Uranyl carbonate complexes decreased in solubility with increasing temperature, so that U sorption efficiency on biotite increased with increasing temperature. Sorption of uranyl ion and uranyl hydroxy cations on biotite decreased with incresaing temperature.

Radium sorption efficiencies as a function of temperature, Ra concentration, and secondary mineral sorbate were determined in a 0.01 M NaCl solution. Radium sorption on a characterized clinoptilolite, montmorillonite, nontronite, opal, silica gel, illite, kaolinite, and glauconite under comparable experimental conditions allowed determination of Ra sorption efficiency curves for each, through use of Freundlich constants, over the same temperature and initial Ra solution concentration range. Similar sorption data for U on the same secondary minerals over the same temperatures allowed comparison of sorption efficiencies for Ra and U. Clinoptilolite, illite, and nontronite were the most efficient Ra sorbents, while opal and silica gel were the poorest Ra sorbents. Generally, Ra sorption on secondary minerals was much greater than U sorption under the same experimental conditions.

The emergence of modern health-related commodities and tourism in the late Meiji and Taishō eras (1900s–1920s) was accompanied by a revival of spiritualist religions, many of which had their origins in folk belief. What helped this was the people’s interpretation of radiation. This article underscores the linkages between radiation, science and spiritualism in Japan at the time of modernisation and imperialism. In the early twentieth century, the general public came to know about radiation because it was deemed to have special efficacy in healing the human body. In Japan, the concept of radiation harmonised with both Western culture and Japanese traditional culture. One can see the fusion of Western and traditional culture both in people’s lives and commercial culture through the popularity and availability of radium hot springs and radioactive commodities. Radium hot springs became fashionable in Japan in the 1910s. As scholars reported that radium provided the real potency of hot springs, local hot springs villages seized on the scientific explanation and connected their developments with national policies and industries. This paper illustrates how the discourse about radium, which came from the field of radiation medicine, connected science and spiritualism in modern Japan.

The activity concentrations of soil, water and fertilizersamples were determined by using high-resolution gamma spectrometry(HPGe detector: 40% relative efficiency) with a PC-based MCA system.The samples were collected from the area of a urea fertilizer factory,lagoon and Shitalakhya river in Narsingdi, Bangladesh. The activityconcentrations of 226Ra ranged from 3.16 ± 0.32 to 10.28 ± 0.55Bq.kg-1, 1.22 ± 0.41 to 7.36 ± 0.42 Bq.L-1 and 3.55 ± 0.33 to 90.65± 3.17 Bq.kg-1 for soil, water and fertilizer samples, respectively.The 232Th activity concentrations ranged from 4.89 ± 0.45 to 15.82± 0.45 Bq.kg-1, 1.21 ± 0.06 to 8.59 ± 0.37 Bq. L-1 and 4.76 ± 0.25to 26.38 ± 1.40 Bq.kg-1 for soil, water and fertilizer samples, respectively.The 40K activity concentrations ranged from 24.96 ± 0.23 to 60.49± 0.56 Bq.kg-1, 7.48 ± 0.53 to 35.48 ± 0.24 Bq.L-1 and 3.55 ± 0.05to 3051.71 ± 19.53 Bq.kg-1 for these samples, respectively. Theradium equivalent activity, the hazard indices, the gamma activityconcentration index, the indoor absorbed dose rate and the correspondingannual effective dose were estimated for the potential radiological hazardof the collected samples. The calculated values of the representativelevel index values (Igr) for all samples of the study area are lowerthan unity except the MOP sample. The activity ratios were alsomeasured. These values are compared with reported values for othercountries of the world. The results of the comparison studies showthat the radioactivity concentrations and other radioactive indicesof the samples of the study area are below the internationally acceptedmaximum permissible values. Therefore, this region is safe fromany radiation hazard and no significant radiological threat was observedto the population of the study area.

Sur demande du ministre chargé de la Santé, l'OPRI et l'ANDRA lancent le 1er décembre 1999 une campagne de collecte d'objets au radium autrefois utilisés en curiethérapie. Cette campagne répond à un souci de santé publique, compte tenu de réels risques pour des personnes pouvant manipuler ces objets sans précaution. En outre, son bien fondé s'est renforcé, ces dernières années, par de nombreuses affaires de découvertes d'objets au radium en déshérence. Cette collecte est basée sur le volontariat des détenteurs qui signalent la présence d'objets au radium dans leurs locaux auprès d'une cellule opérationnelle OPRI-ANDRA, au moyen d'un numéro vert. Cette cellule analyse chaque demande et apprécie le degré d'urgence de la situation. La priorité est accordée aux particuliers qui ne disposent pas de conditions d'entreposage satisfaisantes sur le plan de la radioprotection. Les équipes de l'OPRI effectuent les collectes suivant un protocole strict garantissant leur sécurité, le bon déroulement des opérations et le respect des règles du transport de matières radioactives. Les 90 interventions réalisées ont permis de collecter 517 objets représentant une activité de $1,32 \times 10^{11}$ Bq. Une fois conditionnés, ces objets ont été acheminés au CEA de Saclay, pour un entreposage en toute sécurité en attendant le stockage définitif par l'ANDRA.