Essays on Radium

My Great-Great-Aunt Discovered Francium. And It Killed Her

The scientific discoveries that were made in the past were without any doubt full of risks and repercussions associated with the exposure to the radioactive materials that resulted in the damage to the bodies and over exposure to radiation led to the death of the researchers. Some researchers were enthusiastic about discoveries that they tend to ignore the long-term repercussions they may have to face due to their exposure to toxic materials, and Marguerite Perey was one of them. She mixed in different materials and ingredients and applied different theories without any care and concern regarding the contamination of ...

Abstract

The uses of radiation revolutionized medicine when experimentation on its potential applications begun. X-Ray technology, discovered by Wilhem Roentgen, is currently used as a common tool for diagnostics; Henri Becquerel, Marie Curie and Pierre Curie dedicated themselves to further investigations in the field, discovering additional radioactive materials (polonium and radium); radiation therapy is a popular treatment for cancer. This paper analyzes the historical background behind these two applications of radiation in the medical field. Moreover, the different types of radiotherapy are described (external-beam radiation therapy, internal radiation therapy). The concept of radiation homeostasis, which is the notion that low-dose ...

According to EPA (2016), environmental management involves the development of systems aimed at reducing environmental impacts of various activities. In the Brundtland commission report (WCED), sustainable development has been described as development aimed at meeting the current needs of the present generation. However, as the current generation focuses on meeting their own needs, their activities should not compromise the capability of future generations to also meet their own needs. Available evidence suggests that the future generation would have challenges meeting their own needs if the current generation fails to adopt sustainable practices. The sustainable development incorporates the triple line: ...

Introduction

Heinz, a simple man from a small town in somewhere in Europe, was living a normal life with his wife. One day, his wife suddenly fell ill. She was caught severely by a deadly disease which can only be cured by a special medication containing some form of radium in it. Only one druggist in the same town discovered that drug and was hoping to earn great amount of money from his discovery. He priced his drug about $2000 for a small amount, this price was ten times more then what his cost of materials were, specially radium which cost around $ 200 only. Heinz found ...