Later, similar effects were also found to be associated with internal exposure to 224Ra. These studies were motivated by the discovery of cancer and other debilitating effects associated with internal exposure to 226Ra and 228Ra. The primary sources of information on the health effects and dosimetry of radium isotopes come from extensive studies of 224Ra, 226Ra, and 228Ra in humans and experimental animals. It has also been used for internal radiation therapy. Radium has been used commercially in luminous paints for watch and instrument dials and for other luminized objects. In communities where wells are used, drinking water can be an important source of ingested radium. Radium is present in soil, minerals, foodstuffs, groundwater, and many common materials, including many used in construction. The “all-natural” stuff in raw water may also be dangerous.Four isotopes of radium occur naturally and several more are man-made or are decay products of man-made isotopes. People often believe that “all-natural” means healthy, but radium is natural, and it is anything but healthy. Now, radium in water is a major health crisis and no company would dream of promoting it.
The Federal Trade Commission took action and started banning radium-infused health products. Byers was famous, though, and couldn’t be ignored. The possibility of radium poisoning had been brought up in the past because of the gruesome deaths of young women painting clocks with radium paint (they were instructed to smooth the brushes in their mouths), but none of those cases had gotten much attention. He was so radioactive, he was buried in a lead-lined coffin.
His jaw had rotted off, and he had anemia and a brain abscess to boot. RadiThor, however, was actually telling the truth. Many brands just used the radium label as a marketing gimmick since radium was very expensive. Unfortunately for Byers, RadiThor was one of the few elixirs that actually contained the real deal. When he hurt his arm in 1930, his doctor recommended he drink RadiThor, a drink laced with radium. Wealthy and well-known, Eben Byers made his name in steel. However, as people would soon realize, even a teeny-tiny amount of radium could do incredible damage over time. Also, when ingested, radium can initially cause the appearance of better health thanks to its stimulation of red blood cells. The amount of radium in products like Radium Water was very small. In plants where the substance was handled, workers knew to wear lead aprons and other safety equipment, but that was pure radium. Why were people so happy to ingest something we know now is so toxic?įor one thing, people weren’t totally ignorant about radium’s dangers. The element even ended up in chocolate and bread. The creator reasoned that since radium glowed in the dark, it could make one’s teeth shine, too. You could even find toothpaste made from radium and thorium. It remained popular for years and radium started appearing in other products. Doctors started prescribing it for everything from high blood pressure to arthritis to sexual impotence. Now, that’s over $15, but customers were eager to reap the proclaimed health benefits. RadiThor was especially popular in the 1920’s, when people could buy a 1-ounce bottle for $1. Once this water was released to the public, it took off. In 1913, newspaper announced the creation of “radium water,” which was brewed by pouring water into a container with radium. An experiment in 1911 on horses raised the possibility that radium had anti-aging properties. People immediately hoped to find a medicinal purpose for radium. This strange element didn’t follow the laws of physics. They eventually isolated radium itself and announced the find to the world. While studying uraninte, a radioactive mineral high in uranium and ore, they managed to separate out several components. In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie made a huge discovery. In fact, they believed radium could be the answer to every health problem, and scientists said nothing to change their minds. Back in the early 20th century, most people didn’t know this.
If Peter were to get radium inside his body, it would rot his skeleton from the inside out.
In reality, however, radium is an extremely toxic element. When a radioactive spider bit Peter Parker, the teenager gains superpowers.
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