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Radioactivity

Radioactivity is a natural physical phenomenon in which the atomic nuclei of certain unstable, or radioactive, elements spontaneously transform by releasing energy in the form of radiation. As a result of this process, called radioactive decay, the nuclei lose part of their mass and become more stable.
The radioactive atoms or radioisotopes that produce natural radioactivity have been present in the rocks of the Earth’s crust since the planet was formed. They are also continuously generated by cosmic radiation. In other words, we have been surrounded by natural radioactivity since the dawn of time.
However, we only became aware of our constant exposure to radioactivity 100 years ago, through the research carried out by Henri Becquerel. Gradually, radioactivity’s mechanisms and potential uses became clearer. Today radioactivity has numerous applications, including medical analyses and treatments with radioisotopes, nuclear energy production, non-destructive industrial inspections, environmental studies using radioactive tracers, food and artwork preservation, carbon-14 dating and ionic smoke detectors, to name but a few.