Re: radium glazes and cancer -- fiestaware, watches, and other products

Armando:

You are correct. Over the years, there have been a number of products which have contained higher than normal levels of radioactive material. In some cases, such as smoke detectors, the radioactive component was essential to their operation. In other cases, such as the orange-colored fiestaware, it was the brilliant orange color of uranium oxide that was desired for the product. It would have worked just as well if uranium had not been a radioactive element.

There have been other examples of products with "higher than background" radioactivity. Items such as certain decorative glass products and low- sodium salt substitute come to mind. Everything in the world contains some radioactive atoms because there are a number of natural chains of radioactive isotopes in our environment. Also, the bombardment of our atmosphere with cosmic rays also results in some radioactive atoms being produced which inevitably find their way to the earth's surface and are in our soil and water and air. Within the past century, man has also begun to produce radioisotopes and some of them wind up in our environment also.

In the early part of the 20th century, a number of young women who were painting radium on watch and clock dials did develop cancer from ingestion of the radium-bearing paint. This was eventually recognized as the cause and the practice was discontinued. Some uranium miners also contracted lung cancer from breathing radioactive air while mining uranium in different parts of the world. Better ventilation and respiratory protection measures were instituted. Some of the early medical workers - radiologists - also received very high x-ray exposures and were found to have developed leukemia as a result. Safety measures were undertaken and now the medical workers no longer hold the x-ray film with their hands while taking x-rays.

I do remember reading of a case in the scientific literature of a person who carried a radium-dial pocket watch in the same pocket for many years developing a skin lesion in exactly the location where the watch was positioned near his skin. Again, this case was from the early part of the 20th century as I recall, and radium is no longer used in watches or clocks. So, I think the answer to your question is that some radioactive articles do have the potential to cause a cancer, but we are now very aware of that possibility and have taken many precautions to prevent people from coming into contact with high levels of radioactive material.

Thank you for your question.

Gerald Gels