Natural radioactivity

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-007790",
  "term": "Natural radioactivity",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei of naturally occurring radionuclides, resulting in the emission of alpha particles, beta particles, or gamma rays. This process is inherent to certain unstable isotopes found in the Earth's crust, atmosphere, and cosmic radiation. Examples include the decay chains of uranium-238 and thorium-232.",
  "subject": "Analytical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "radioactivity",
    "isotopic abundance",
    "nuclide"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 1982, 54, 1533. 'Glossary of terms used in nuclear analytical chemistry (Provisional)' on page 1546 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198254081533)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/natural-radioactivity/"
}