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This study delves into the long-term atmospheric transport and deposition of 210Pb in the Northern Hemisphere by using the atmospheric transport model HIRAT. The calculation for the four-year (2012–2015) period showed an average deposition flux of 13.0 Bq m−2 month−1 with significant seasonal variations characterized by higher deposition rates during summer and lower during winter. High deposition was found in the Northern Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh regions, Southern China, the Western Philippine Sea, the Eastern Japan Sea, the Northwestern Pacific region, the Eastern and Western coasts of North America, the Caribbean Sea, the Eastern Pacific region off of Central America, the Central Atlantic region between Central America and Africa, and the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Deposition patterns varied across latitudinal zones, with tropical areas experiencing the highest deposition and polar/subpolar zones the lowest. This study emphasized the impact of monsoons on the significantly large 210Pb deposition in the Japan Sea region. Furthermore, this study showed that the lower troposphere (0 to 3 km) dominates with about 53%, and the middle troposphere (3 to 6 km) and upper troposphere (above 6 km) also contribute significantly to the total 210Pb inventory with 37% and 10%, respectively. These findings provide essential insights into the characteristics of atmospheric transport and deposition of 210Pb, and their mechanisms.

Our world has been radioactive ever since! Humans are primarily exposed to natural radiation from the Sun, cosmic rays, and naturally-occurring radionuclides found in the Earth's crust. Besides the natural radioactivity, industries, which produce radioactive wastes during their normal operations or during their dismantling and decommissioning processes, do contaminate the environment through the release of radionuclides into the air, soil and water. Among them, nuclear power plants, NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) related industries, hospitals, radionuclide production facilities, uranium mining and other nuclear facilities, along with radioactive/nuclear disposal sites are a potential source of environmental contamination by emission/discharging of natural/artificial radionuclides through water, air and soil to the other environmental compartments like plants, animals and foods. In a word, everything that makes our existence! The book ''Radionuclides: Properties, Behavior and Potential Health Effects\" is a comprehensive overview of some information on radiation in the environment and human exposure to radioactivity. This book highlights the sources, properties, behaviors, and biological and ecological effects of radioactivity from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The emphasis is on the environmental aspects of radionuclides and their eventual effects on biota, particularly humans.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Network of Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) is a worldwide network of laboratories capable of providing reliable and timely analysis of radionuclides in environmental samples during normal or accidental/intentional events that result in the release of radioactivity in the environment. ALMERA is coordinated by the Environment Laboratories of the IAEA and organized into five regional groups, including the North and Latin America region (NLAR), led by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Capacity building in the NLAR for the measurements of environmental radioactivity is achieved through qualitative study that consists of experiences of ALMERA core activities and perspectives of the regional initiatives, respectively. Outcomes' analysis showed that the ALMERA core activities have contributed to the improvements of the analytical capacity and capability, and the regional initiatives assisted in the strengthening of the collaboration and networking, in the NLAR region. The immediate impact of these achievements consisted of gaining technical competence in measuring environmental radioactivity and establishing a network of laboratories. In the long term, sustained efforts between ALMERA and the regional coordination will continue upgrading national and regional competence in the radio analytical services.

Four regions of high natural radioactivity were selected to assess radionuclide levels in rocks and soils, ambient radiation doses, radon exhalation from the ground, and radon concentrations in the air. The regions have different geochemical characteristics and radioactivity levels, which modulate the radiation exposure of local populations. Combining radiometric data with data from regional health statistics on non-infectious diseases, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between radiation exposure and the incidence of cancer and birth defects. Although this is a preliminary and prospective study, the empirical evidence gathered in this paper indicated increased the incidence of some diseases in relationship with the natural radiation background. It is suggested that further research, including epidemiological studies and direct determination of radiation exposures in regions with a high natural radiation background, is needed and justified.

This study delves into the long-term atmospheric transport and deposition of [sup.210]Pb in the Northern Hemisphere by using the atmospheric transport model HIRAT. The calculation for the four-year (2012–2015) period showed an average deposition flux of 13.0 Bq m[sup.−2] month[sup.−1] with significant seasonal variations characterized by higher deposition rates during summer and lower during winter. High deposition was found in the Northern Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh regions, Southern China, the Western Philippine Sea, the Eastern Japan Sea, the Northwestern Pacific region, the Eastern and Western coasts of North America, the Caribbean Sea, the Eastern Pacific region off of Central America, the Central Atlantic region between Central America and Africa, and the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Deposition patterns varied across latitudinal zones, with tropical areas experiencing the highest deposition and polar/subpolar zones the lowest. This study emphasized the impact of monsoons on the significantly large [sup.210]Pb deposition in the Japan Sea region. Furthermore, this study showed that the lower troposphere (0 to 3 km) dominates with about 53%, and the middle troposphere (3 to 6 km) and upper troposphere (above 6 km) also contribute significantly to the total [sup.210]Pb inventory with 37% and 10%, respectively. These findings provide essential insights into the characteristics of atmospheric transport and deposition of [sup.210]Pb, and their mechanisms.

The Cold War reconsidered as a limited nuclear war \"Inexorable clarity and care for his fellow humans mark Robert Jacobs's guide to the Cold War as a limited nuclear war, whose harms disfigure any possible future.\"-Norma Field, author of In the Realm of a Dying Emperor: Japan at Century's End In the fall of 1961, President Kennedy somberly warned Americans about deadly radioactive fallout clouds extending hundreds of miles from H bomb detonations, yet he approved ninety six US nuclear weapon tests for 1962. Cold War nuclear testing, production, and disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima have exposed millions to dangerous radioactive particles; these millions are the global hibakusha. Many communities continue to be plagued with dire legacies and ongoing risks: sickness and early mortality, forced displacement, uncertainty and anxiety, dislocation from ancestors and traditional lifestyles, and contamination of food sources and ecosystems. Robert A. Jacobs re envisions the history of the Cold War as a slow nuclear war, fought on remote battlegrounds against populations powerless to prevent the contamination of their lands and bodies. His comprehensive account necessitates a profound rethinking of the meaning, costs, and legacies of our embrace of nuclear weapons and technologies.

There is a significant scarcity of environmental radiological data from the Spanish territories in the North Africa and along the southern Alboran Sea coast. This paper presents the results of environmental radioactivity campaigns conducted between 2010 and 2025 in Melilla to produce a terrestrial gamma radiation map and analyse the distribution of natural radioisotopes ( 226 Ra, 232 Th and  40 K) and 137 Cs in soils. Mean activity concentrations are 22 Bq kg⁻¹ for 226 Ra, 24 Bq kg⁻¹ for 232 Th, and 305 Bq kg⁻¹ for  40 K, all below global medians and Spanish averages. Using these data, a dose model was applied to generate a dose map of the territory. The estimated annual effective dose of 0.23 mSv y⁻¹ is also below the global average, indicating no radiological concern for the population. Due to Melilla’s border location and proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, a characterization of its beaches was performed to establish a baseline for potential external contamination. Several indices established by international regulatory agencies were calculated to quantify radiological risk in outdoor and indoor environments. Finally, a radon potential exposure map was developed to identify areas where buildings could exceed the 300 Bq m⁻³ reference level set by the Building Technical Code in accordance with Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom.