Returning to Mother Earth

Few nightmares in modern society conjure up such apocalyptic visions as radioactivity let loose in the environment. This fear is commonplace despite the fact that Mother Earth is naturally very radioactive, and living organisms have evolved and thrived in the presence of natural radioactivity, primarily from uranium and its decay products, over eons of time. Natural background concentrations of uranium in soil seldom exceed 11.7 mg/kg, a level that poses no health risk. However, when radioactive materials are concentrated to levels that pose risks to human health, concerns about exposure to them are justified and can pose challenges to geoprofessionals.