4
well as experiments on animals, we learned about health effects of uranium on
humans, and ionizing radiation exposure in general, more than we know about the
impact of any other dangerous substances or agents.
The chapter characterizes in some detail the relevant important milestones in the
history of uranium, including its importance and beneficial use in many areas as
well as its potential health effects due to the internal and external exposure coming
from uranium alone and also from its numerous decay products where, for miners
and the population at large, radioactive radon gas plays a crucial role. The results
and consequences of a number of epidemiological studies, especially those carried
out in the former Czechoslovakia and recently in the Czech Republic, are also summarized and discussed.
2 History of Uranium and the Role of Jáchymov
2.1 Some Important Uranium Milestones
The following milestones (DOE 1994; CC 2018; WNA 2018a) indicate the significant role uranium has played historically:
• 1789: Martin Klaproth (1743–1817) discovered uranium in uraninite ore from
the Ore Mountains and named it after the planet Uranus discovered shortly
before. In fact, the discovery was related to uranium oxide rather than a pure element, which was isolated only later in 1841 by Eugen Péligot (1811–1890).
• 1896: Henri Becquerel (1852–1908) observed that the pitchblende (from the
Jáchymov area) caused a photographic plate to darken. This experiment resulted
in the discovery of alpha and beta particles; gamma radiation was discovered
later in 1900 by Paul Villard (1860–1934).
• 1898: Marie Curie-Sklodowska (1867–1934) and her husband Pierre Curie
(1859–1906) first introduced the words “radiation” and “radioactivity”. Their
discoveries included polonium and radium.
• 1900: Friedrich Dorn (1848–1916), a German chemist, during his experiments
with radium decay chain discovered radon.
• 1902: Ernest Rutherford (1871–1937) concluded that radioactive decay is related
to a spontaneous event followed by the emission charged particles by the parent
nucleus, creating a daughter element which may also undergo a similar decay.
• 1905: Albert Einstein (1879–1955) put forward a theory relating mass and energy
by a famous equation E = mc
2
.
• 1911: It was confirmed the existence of various isotopes (with the same chemistry) of the same element.
• 1913: The first use of radium for the treatment of patients.
• 1920s: Radioactive dyes from Jáchymov became profitable export items used for
luminous wristwatches.
• 1932: James Chadwick (1891–1974) discovered the neutron.
J. Sabol
well as experiments on animals, we learned about health effects of uranium on
humans, and ionizing radiation exposure in general, more than we know about the
impact of any other dangerous substances or agents.
The chapter characterizes in some detail the relevant important milestones in the
history of uranium, including its importance and beneficial use in many areas as
well as its potential health effects due to the internal and external exposure coming
from uranium alone and also from its numerous decay products where, for miners
and the population at large, radioactive radon gas plays a crucial role. The results
and consequences of a number of epidemiological studies, especially those carried
out in the former Czechoslovakia and recently in the Czech Republic, are also summarized and discussed.
2 History of Uranium and the Role of Jáchymov
2.1 Some Important Uranium Milestones
The following milestones (DOE 1994; CC 2018; WNA 2018a) indicate the significant role uranium has played historically:
• 1789: Martin Klaproth (1743–1817) discovered uranium in uraninite ore from
the Ore Mountains and named it after the planet Uranus discovered shortly
before. In fact, the discovery was related to uranium oxide rather than a pure element, which was isolated only later in 1841 by Eugen Péligot (1811–1890).
• 1896: Henri Becquerel (1852–1908) observed that the pitchblende (from the
Jáchymov area) caused a photographic plate to darken. This experiment resulted
in the discovery of alpha and beta particles; gamma radiation was discovered
later in 1900 by Paul Villard (1860–1934).
• 1898: Marie Curie-Sklodowska (1867–1934) and her husband Pierre Curie
(1859–1906) first introduced the words “radiation” and “radioactivity”. Their
discoveries included polonium and radium.
• 1900: Friedrich Dorn (1848–1916), a German chemist, during his experiments
with radium decay chain discovered radon.
• 1902: Ernest Rutherford (1871–1937) concluded that radioactive decay is related
to a spontaneous event followed by the emission charged particles by the parent
nucleus, creating a daughter element which may also undergo a similar decay.
• 1905: Albert Einstein (1879–1955) put forward a theory relating mass and energy
by a famous equation E = mc
2
.
• 1911: It was confirmed the existence of various isotopes (with the same chemistry) of the same element.
• 1913: The first use of radium for the treatment of patients.
• 1920s: Radioactive dyes from Jáchymov became profitable export items used for
luminous wristwatches.
• 1932: James Chadwick (1891–1974) discovered the neutron.
J. Sabol