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Radium-226 Content of Natural Waters and Coal in New South Wales

Abstract

No investigations of the natural α-activity existing in Australia have been published, and this communication reports some exploratory results. Investigations on natural waters have a two-fold purpose, first to study the principal natural contributor to radiation health problems, and, secondly, to obtain geochemical information. We are not aware of any other similar studies of coal. Since radium is normally associated with siliceous rocks, the amount carried in dusts may add its effect to the total air-pollution, and also the radium content might serve as a means of identifying coal seams or of grading coal.

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PALLISTER, E., GREEN, J. Radium-226 Content of Natural Waters and Coal in New South Wales. Nature 201, 813–814 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/201813a0

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