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We continue our rare-earth series with praseodymium. It’s sometimes called the green metal because it tarnishes so quickly that if you leave a small block of it on the shelf
The Areia Preta beach in Guarapari, Brazil, is famous for its radioactive black sand which are rich in monozites containing uranium and thorioum.
The association of Guarapari’s radioactive sand with medicinal therapy was made by physician Silva Mello in 1972, who advocated laying on the sand to cure oneself of arthritis and cancer. In his book Guarapari: Miracle of Nature, Mello exposited the virtues of natural radiation, and as a result thousands of tourists began to visit the region around the city of Guarapari. Many people completely cover themselves with the monazitic sand supposing that this is healthy and may cure their diseases. The state’s tourism industry has definitely profited from this fact. Guarapari’s sand’s supp...