A new book by prof. Bogdan Skwarc entitled 'Radiochemistry of the Environment' has been published by the University of Gdańsk Publishing House. The book gives the reader not only the basics of knowledge about ionizing radiation, radioactive isotopes in the environment and their importance to man but also explains several doubts, shows the benefits and losses arising from the use of radionuclides and shows the "glares and shadows" of nuclear power development.
The content of the book covers the following topics: structure of matter, natural and artificial radioactivity, the interaction of ionizing radiation with living matter (including radiolysis and dosimetry), standards of radiological protection, the origin of artificial radioactive elements in the natural environment (including the effects of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plant disasters), radionuclide analysis and its application in environmental analysis, radionuclides in the human body, radionuclides in terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, including the terrestrial and aquatic environment of Poland and the southern Baltic Sea, radiochemical contamination of the natural environment around the phosphogypsum heap at Wiślinka, applications of radionuclides in technology (nuclear power and radioactive waste), the military (nuclear, thermonuclear and neutron weapons), medicine (nuclear medicine) and science (isotopic geochronology).