Why are Elements like Radium Dangerous? A Chemist Explains Radioactivity and its Health Effects
DOI
10.64628/AAI.t6d9uyckv
Abstract
The element radium can be found in extremely tiny amounts in the Earth’s crust and oceans, and in its pure form it is a soft silvery metal. To an untrained eye, a small piece of radium may look like a chip off a regular gray rock. But radium can invisibly emit radiation – energy and small fragments of itself – that you can’t feel, see or smell. And that invisible radiation can hurt you, without you even noticing right away.
What’s going on with this silent threat that can stealthily damage your body in ways that can take years to reveal themselves?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-13-2025
Publisher Statement
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Recommended Citation
Donald, Kelling J., "Why are Elements like Radium Dangerous? A Chemist Explains Radioactivity and its Health Effects" (2025). Chemistry Faculty Publications. 155.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/chemistry-faculty-publications/155
