Radium

History

Radium (Latin radius, ray) was discovered by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre in 1898 in pitchblende/uraninite from North Bohemia. While studying pitchblende the Curies removed uranium from it and found that the remaining material was still radioactive. They then separated out a radioactive mixture mostly consisting of barium which gave a brilliant red flame color and spectral lines which had never been documented before. In 1902 radium was isolated into its pure metal by Curie and Andre Debierne through the electrolysis of a pure radium chloride solution by using a mercury cathode and distilling in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas.

Related Topics:
Discovered - Marie Curie - Pierre - 1898 - Uraninite - Bohemia - Uranium - Radioactive - Barium - Spectral line - 1902 - Metal - Andre Debierne - Electrolysis - Chloride - Mercury - Cathode - Distilling - Hydrogen

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Historically the decay products of radium were known as Radium A, B, C, etc. These are now known to be isotopes of other elements as follows:

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:Radium emanation - radon-222

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:Radium A - polonium-218

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:Radium B - lead-214

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:Radium C - bismuth-214

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:Radium C1 - polonium-214

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:Radium C2 - thallium-210

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:Radium D - lead-210

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:Radium E - bismuth-210

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:Radium F - polonium 210

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On February 4, 1936 radium E became the first radioactive element to be made synthetically.

Related Topics:
February 4 - 1936 - Radioactive

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During the 1930s it was found that worker exposure to radium by handling luminescent paints caused serious health effects which included sores, anemia and bone cancer. This use of radium was stopped soon afterward. This is because radium is treated as calcium by the body, and deposited in the bones, where radioactivity degrades marrow, and can mutate bone cells. Handling of radium has since been blamed for Marie Curie's premature death.

Related Topics:
Luminescent - Anemia - Bone cancer - Calcium - Marrow

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