Therapies for environmental element deficiencies and toxic excesses have been only partially perfected for plants, animals, and man, and require much additional study. Chemical and natural fertilizers are frequently applied irrationally to the soil because of incomplete information on (1) nutrient deficiencies and availabilities from the soil; (2) imbalances caused by chemical fallout; (3) translocation mechanisms from soil to plant; and (4) the effect of runoff on water composition. Range-fed domestic and wild animals seem to present more problems than confinement-fed animals because of the lack of quality control of their rations. Apparently, man reflects environmental deficiencies and toxic excesses more than do animals because of man’s longer life, free choice of diet, and poor quality control of food. Leaf and hair analyses provide very useful methods of evaluating regional element imbalances and therapies for these imbalances. Further developments of these therapies will provide more and better food and will serve to correct the large geographical differences in life expectancy in the United States. Any large-scale therapy needs constant re-evaluation and improvement, as is illustrated by current problems with air, water, soil, and foodstuffs.

Abstract This paper presents selected issues related to the use of 222 Rn in therapeutic treatments. Radon is a radioactive element whose usage in medicine for more than 100 years is based on the radiation hormesis theory. However, owing to the radioactive character of this element and the fact that its alpha-radioactive decay is the source of other radionuclides, its therapeutic application has been raising serious doubts. The author points to potential sources and carriers of radon in the environment that could supply radon for use in a variety of therapies. Except for centuries-long tradition of using radon groundwaters, and later also the air in caves and underground workings, the author would also like to focus on soil air, which is still underestimated as a source of radon. The text presents different methods of obtaining this radioactive gas from groundwaters, the air in caves, mining galleries and soil air, and it presents new possibilities in this field. The author also discusses problems related to the transportation and storage of radon obtained from the environment. Within radon-prone areas, it is often necessary to de-radon groundwaters that are intended for human consumption and household usage. Also, dry radon wells are used to prevent radon migration from the ground into residential buildings. The author proposes using radon released from radon groundwaters and amassed in dry radon wells for radonotherapy treatments. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the cost of radiological protection of people within radon-prone areas while still exploiting the 222 Rn obtained for a variety of therapies. With regard to the ongoing and still unsettled dispute concerning the beneficial or detrimental impact of radon on the human organism, the author puts special emphasis on the necessity of strictly monitoring both the activity concentration of 222 Rn in media used for therapeutic treatments and of its radioactive decay products. Monitoring should be also extended to the environments in which such treatments are delivered (inhalatoriums, baths, saunas, showers, pools and other facilities), as well as to the patients – during and after the radonotherapy treatments. It is also essential to monitor the dose of radon and its daughters that is received by persons undergoing radon therapy. This should facilitate the assessment of the effectiveness of these treatments, which may contribute to a fuller understanding of the mechanisms of radon impact, and ionizing radiation in general, on the human organism. This will make it easier to ultimately confirm or reject the radiation hormesis theory. It is also essential to monitor the effective dose that is received by medical and technical staff employed to deliver the radonotherapy treatments.

Abstract This volume draws together the final outputs of the five-year UNESCO / IUGS / IGCP Project 571 and presents new data on radon in the built and natural environments, radon as a diagnostic tool of geophysical phenomena, reflections and recommendations on the future of radon research and a critique of radon's asserted use as a therapy. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in radon from a range of different aspects and we would suggest that radon science has the potential to be a useful tool in understanding our environment as well as its impacts on human health.

Recognition of zinc deficiency as a problem in man has taken a long time. Although the metal was shown to be essential for the development and the growth of Aspergillus niger in 1869, of plants in 1914, and of animals in 1934, an essential role of zinc in man was considered to be unlikely until recently. Within the past few years, however, investigators have demonstrated, in rapid succession, that zinc deficiency is common in man, that this deficiency is a critical factor in some forms of impaired growth, delayed healing, and chronic disease. The development of systematic zinc therapy for man offers a new approach to the treatment of growth problems, indolent wounds, and other conditions associated with zinc deficiency.