July 1999 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Radium |
(Radio) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about radium. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Radium is a radioactive
substance formed from the breakdown of uranium and thorium.
Exposure to high levels results in an increased risk of
bone, liver, and breast cancer. This chemical has been
found in at least 18 of the 1,177 National Priorities
List sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). |
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What
is radium? |
Radium is a naturally occurring silvery-white
radioactive metal that can exist in several forms called isotopes.
Radium is formed when uranium and thorium break down in the
environment. Uranium and thorium are found in small amounts
in most rocks and soil. Two of the main radium isotopes found
in the environment are radium-226 and radium-228.
Radium undergoes radioactive decay. It
divides into two parts-one part is called radiation and the
other part is called a daughter. The daughter, like radium,
is not stable, and it also divides into radiation and another
daughter. The dividing of daughters continues until a stable,
nonradioactive daughter is formed. During the decay process,
alpha, beta, and gamma radiation are released. Alpha particles
can travel only a short distance and cannot travel through
your skin. Beta particles can penetrate through your skin,
but they cannot go all the way through your body. Gamma radiation
can go all the way through your body.
Radium has been used as a radiation source
for treating cancer, in radiography of metals, and combined
with other metals as a neutron source for research and radiation
instrument calibration. Until the 1960s, radium was a component
of the luminous paints used for watch and clock dials, intrument
panels in airplanes, military instruments, and compasses.
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What
happens to radium when it enters the environment? |
- Radium is constantly being produced by the radioactive
decay of uranium and thorium.
- Radium is present at very low levels in rocks and soil
and may strongly attach to those materials.
- Radium may also be found in air.
- High concentrations are found in water in some areas of
the country.
- Uranium mining results in higher levels of radium in water
near uranium mines.
- Radium in the soil may be absorbed by plants.
- It may concentrate in fish and other aquatic organisms.
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How
might I be exposed to radium? |
- Everyone is exposed to low levels of radium in the air,
water, and food.
- Higher levels may be found in the air near industries
that burn coal or other fuels.
- It may be found at higher levels in drinking water from
wells.
- Miners, particularly miners of uranium and hard rock,
are exposed to higher levels of radium.
- It may also be found at radioactive waste disposal sites.
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How
can radium affect my health? |
Radium has been shown to cause effects
on the blood (anemia) and eyes (cataracts). It also has been
shown to affect the teeth, causing an increase in broken teeth
and cavities. Patients who were injected with radium in Germany,
from 1946 to 1950, for the treatment of certain diseases including
tuberculosis were significantly shorter as adults than people
who were not treated.
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How
likely is radium to cause cancer? |
Exposure to high levels of radium results
in an increased incidence of bone, liver, and breast cancer.
The EPA and the National Academy of Sciences, Committee on
Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation, has stated that
radium is a known human carcinogen.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to radium? |
Urine tests can determine if you have
been exposed to radium. Another test measures the amount of
radon (a breakdown product of radium) in exhaled air. Both
types of tests require special equipment and cannot be done
in a doctor's office. These tests cannot tell how much radium
you were exposed to, nor can they be used to predict whether
you will develop harmful health effects.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA has set a drinking water limit
of 5 picocuries per liter (5 pCi/L) for radium-226 and radium-228
(combined).
The EPA has set a soil concentration
limit for radium-226 in uranium and thorium mill tailings
of 5 pCi per gram (5 pCi/g) in the first 15 centimeters of
soil and 15 pCi/g in deeper soil.
The federal recommendations have been
updated as of July 1999.
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Glossary |
Anemia: A decreased ability of the blood
to transport oxygen.
Carcinogen: A substance that can cause
cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
National Priorities List: A list of the
nation's worst hazardous waste sites.
Picocurie (pCi): A unit used to measure
the quantity of radio-active material.
rem: A unit used to measure radiation
dose.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1990. Toxicological Profile for radium. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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