ABSTRACT

Radium (Ra) is an almost pure white alkaline metal of group 2 in the periodic table of elements, but may be oxidized readily and become black. Radium is necessary for living organisms, and its adverse health effects are likely, when it is incorporated into biochemical processes, because of its radioactivity and chemical reactivity. Radium sorption in soils highly varies and the lowest is in sandy soils. Radium in water is relatively easily available to aquatic biota. Radium has been shown to cause adverse health effects, such as anemia, cataracts, fractured teeth, cancer, and death. Radium is currently used in brachytherapy to treat various types of cancer. Radium in water is relatively easily available to aquatic biota. Marine plants and animals may contain Ra on the order of 100 times of that in the water media. The combustion of coal is the most common and important source of Ra in the atmosphere.