ML21264A171
| ML21264A171 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A171 (1) | |
Text
Radium Part I: Opening Pandoras Bo x
Whe n M a r ie a nd Pie r r e C ur ie dis c ove r e d R a dium-226 in 1898, it ope ne d up t he a t om s s e c r e t s a nd offe r e d hope t ha t it s mys t e r ious r a dioa c t ive r a ys w e r e a mir a c le c ur e. Sobe r ing r e a lit y r e pla c e d e uphor ia a s r a dium fa c t or y w or ke r s be g a n t o die.
R a dium t a ug ht t he w or ld of r a dia t ion s da ng e r s, ye t it w a s not unt il 2 0 0 5 t ha t C ong r e s s put a ll a s pe c t s of r a dium s a fe t y ove r s ig ht unde r t he fe de r a l g ove r nme nt. U nt il t ha t t ime, it w a s pr ima r ily r e g ula t e d t o va rying deg rees by t he s t a t e s. T his t hr e e-pa r t blog s e r ie s t r a c e s r a dium s long unique his t or y w he r e s t a t e s t ook t he le a d in r e g ula t ing it a nd c ompe ns a t ing vic t ims.
Soon a ft e r t he C ur ie s dis c ove r y, r a dium be c a me a c ons ume r a nd me dic a l s e ns a t ion. I t s r a dia t ion r e duc e d tumor g r ow t h, a nd r e s e a r c he r s found s ome w ha t e le va t e d le ve ls of r a dia t ion a t s ome me dic ina l s pa s, s uc h a s Sa r a t og a Spr ing s, N. Y., a nd H ot Spr ing s, A r k. C onc lus ion? R a dia t ion w a s a life s a ve r. One phys ic ia n c la ime d t ha t r a dium s r a dia t ion pr e ve nt s ins a nit y, r ous e s noble e mot ions, r e t a r ds old a g e,
a nd c r e a t e s a s ple ndid yout hful joyous life.
M a nufa c t ur e r s ha w ke d qua c k pr oduc t s t he y c la ime d w e r e la c e d w it h r a dium a s a mir a c le c ur e a nd s t a t us s ymbol: e lix ir s, kit c he nw a r e, c lot he s, pillow s, r a z or bla de s, a nd cig a r e t t e holde r s, e ve n c ondoms.
R a dium s lumine s c e nt pr ope r t ie s a ls o ma de pos s ible g low-in-t he-da r k pa int for w a t c h dia ls.
I n 1925, t he New York Times r e por t e d one of t he e a r lie s t ins t a nc e s of r a dia t ion-induc e d c a nc e r. I t s vict ims were young women wa t ch-dia l pa int e r s in N e w J e r s e y, C onne c t ic ut a nd I llinois. T he int r ic a t e w or k r e quir e d t he m t o lip point t he ir br us he s by lic king t he m. I nfe c t ions a nd c a nc e r s of t he ja w follow e d fr om t he ing e s t e d r a dium. T he is ot ope s bone-s e e king pr ope r t ie s a nd long ha lf-life made it pa r t ic ula r ly da ng e r ous. (T he t ime r e quir e d for t he r a dioa c t ivit y t o de c r e a s e by one-half is referred t o as t he ha lf-life. T he ha lf-life of R a-226 is a bout 1, 600 ye a r s. )
T he t r a g ic s t or y of t he r a dium g ir ls t r a ns for me d r a dia t ion s ima g e fr om pa na c e a t o pois on. Public dis c us s ion t ur ne d t o c ompe ns a t ing vic t ims a nd limit ing r a dium e x pos ur e s dut ie s t ha t us ua lly fe ll t o s t a t e c our t s a nd a g e nc ie s. I n N e w J e r s e y, r e for me r s w on t he ir fig ht for a la w a llow ing c ompe ns a t ion for r a dium ne c r os is.
State labor a nd he a lt h a g e nc ie s w e r e a ble t o ha lt lip point ing, but t he ir pow e r ove r indus t r y w a s s ome t ime s limit e d. For e x a mple, t he N e w J e r s e y L a bor D e pa r t me nt is s ue d t o U. S. R a dium C or por a t ion a n or de r t o t ig ht e n s a fe t y for it s dia l pa int e r s c omply or c los e. I t clos ed and moved els ewhere.
Fe de r a l a g e nc ie s mos t ly de fe r r e d t o s t a t e a ut hor it y ove r r a dium. T he y is s ue d s t udie s, or g a niz e d c onfe r e nc e s, a nd de ve lope d volunt a r y s a fe w or k pr a c t ic e s. T he Fe de r a l T r a de C ommis s ion ha d s ome influe nc e in s hut t ing down fa ls e ly a dve r t is e d pr oduc t s, s uc h a s t he fount a in of yout h t onic R a dit hor,
but s afety as s urance was a s tate prerogative.
Wit h Wor ld Wa r I I, c ha ng e c a me a s nuc le a r r e a c t or s of t he U. S. w a r t ime a t omic pr og r a m floode d t he w or ld w it h ne w is ot ope s, r e duc ing t o ne a r ins ig nific a nc e r a dium s c ommer c ia l a nd medic a l a pplic a t ions.
T he C ur ie s N obe l-Pr iz e dis c ove r y w a s a bout t o be c ome a n a ft e r t houg ht.
B e s ur e t o c he c k out Part II for the res t of the s tory.
B y Thoma s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n