Radium City was home to a company known for aiding in the horrible death of several women. The company hired women to paint numbers on watch dials with a paint mixed with radium. These girls were unaware of the dangers they would encounter each day while working for this company. This essay will contain information explaining what radium is and how it can be harmful to the human body. Also leading to the discussion of how the Radium Girls sustained radiation exposure and how they could have reduced the amount of radiation exposure received while painting watch dials.
Radium is a known isotope from the periodic table of elements that naturally occur throughout the world. (ATSDR,2015). Radium is highly radioactive and eventually will lead to harmful effects to the human body. The determining factors that aid in …show more content…
How were the girls in this documentary exposed to radiation? The company they worked for had the girls using a paint mixed with radium. The paint was used to add color to watch dials that would cause them to glow in the dark. The company provided small paint brushes and had the girls use their mouth to make a fine point on the brush. This provided the ability to accurately paint the numbers on each watch dial. These girls were directly ingesting radium by putting the brush in their mouth. To decrease their exposure the girls should have been provided with information that the paint had radium in it, and the effects that it could have on their body. Each girl should have received a radiation badge to keep track of their exposure levels. The Radium Girls should have been informed not to put the brush in their mouth. Using water and a paper towel would have provided a sufficient way to receive a fine point for each stroke placed on the dial. Having the girls rotate and only work near the paint for a certain amount of time would have also aided in decreasing their