Praia dos Padres, Guarapari.
The background radiation level on Guarapari beach is about 20Sv per hour.
In some spots it can be as high as 131 Sv per hour.
To place that in context, a single chest X-ray can deliver 100 Sv.
Von Welsbach was looking for thorium for his newly invented incandescent mantles.
Monazite sand was quickly adopted as the thorium source and became the foundation of the rare-earth industry.
Harvesting sand from the beaches in 1910.
Photo:bionerd23/Flickr
Workers packing monazite sand in sacks.
Photo:bionerd23/Flickr
Workers processing monazite sand.
Photo:bionerd23/Flickr
A vintage photograph showing a full beach in Guarapari.
High energy gamma radiation can penetrate the body and cause skin cancer and damage the tissue.
If inhaled, the alpha radiation from the sand can cause lung cancer.
