Radium

   **• Element Abbreviation:** Ra
 * Radium **


 * • Chemical characteristics of the element:** Radium blackens on exposure to air and decomposes in water. When exposed to a flame, radium imparts a carmine red color. It also produces neutrons when mixed with beryllium.


 * •  Physical characteristics of the element:** When freshly prepared radium is brilliant white.


 * • Where is this element found in nature?** Radium is found in tiny quantities in the uranium ore pitchblende as well as various other uranium minerals.


 * • How is the element recovered and purified?** Radium comes from uranium, and is therefore recovered by the mining of uranium. Uranium can than be purified by solvent extraction.


 * • How do we use the element?** We use radium for treatment of cancer.


 * • What products are made from the element?** Radium is made for the production of self luminous paints.

 **Who uses the products?** Luminous paint was used by the Radium Girls. These girls worked in factories during the early 1900s painting the hands of watches with luminous paint. They would constantly have to lick the the tips of their brushes because they would lose their shape, and the girls didn't taste anything strange so they were not aware that the radium in the paint was harmful. Soon they began to paint their nails, and even their teeth with it to surprise their boyfriends when the lights went out. About two years later, Grace Fryer's teeth began to fall out and she discovered a painful abscess on her jaw. Specialists traced these symptoms back to Grace's job at the factories, and discovered that the radium had caused this.
 * • How are these products used?** Self luminous paint has previously been used for the painting of watch hands, clocks, altimeters and other instruments. [[image:file:///Users/student/Desktop/ra_data.jpg]]


 * Are there any environmental concerns due to this use?** Although there are not specific environmental concerns due to the use of self luminous paint, there are some environmental concerns involving radium in general: uranium mining typically results in higher levels of radium in water near the mines. Plants then absorb the radium from the water and pass it on to the fish that eat them. Radium can then concentrate in these fish and later bio magnify up the food chain. Since radium can be harmful when taken in by living things, -- as shown in the case of the Radium Girls -- this can be a danger to the environment.


 * How are waste products disposed of?** Waste products of uranium mining are typically and should be disposed of at a licensed by-product waste disposal facility.


 * • Is the element an important nutrient for human health?** Radium is not an important element to human health. It can be used for the treatment of cancer, as stated above, but is not important to human health in general.


 * • What are the side effects of either consuming too much or not enough?** As in the case of the Radium Girls, consuming radium can lead to abscesses, and teeth loss. In instances where radium is being used for cancer treatment, side effects can include stomach pains, nausea when eating, and trouble sleeping.

"Mass Media & Environmental Conflict -- Radium Girls." Radford University Home Page. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .
 * •Bibliography:**

"Radium (Ra) - Chemical properties, Health and Environmental effects." Water Treatment and Purification - Lenntech. Web. 21 Nov. 2009. .

"Radium." Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .

"Side effects of radium treatment - Cancer - MedHelp." Medical Information & Answers to Medical Questions. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. 

"Uranium Feedstock." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Web. 21 Nov. 2009. .

WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .   