Page 105 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

Glowing with health?

In the early 20th century,
people weren’t aware that
exposure to radiation
damages human tissue
and causes genes to
mutate. Tiny amounts of
radioactive materials,
especially radium, were
added to all kinds of
products in the belief that
they could provide a miracle
cure for any ailment. Radioactive
drinking water, toothpaste, face cream,
bath salts, and medicines all lined
pharmacists’ shelves.

Eben Byers
The case of Eben Byers (1880–1932) spelled
the end of the craze for radioactive products.
An American businessman and enthusiastic
golfer, he was advised by his doctor to drink
radium-laced water to help with an arm injury.
After a few months of downing two or three bottles
a day, radium had accumulated in his bones and
holes had begun to form in his skull. In only
two years, he was dead, buried in a lead-lined
coffin to avoid contaminating the graveyard soil.

Everyday
exposure
In the modern world, we come
into contact with small amounts
of radioactive materials every
day. If you live near a power
plant, have ever traveled by jet,
worn a glow-in-the-dark watch,
or had an x-ray, you’ve been
exposed to radiation. But now
that we understand what
a safe amount of radiation is,
there’s no need to worry
about ending up like
Eben Byers. through the body is an important

Put to good use
Today, key cancer drugs are
made from radioactive materials,
and ingesting small radioactive
particles and following their path

medical diagnostic tool. Airline
security x-rays that protect us in
the skies by detecting weapons of
terror, and smoke detectors that keep
us safe at home, also use small
amounts of radioactive matter.

RADIOACTIVITY 105
(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.