I’d like to preface this article with a graphic content warning. These young women died in horrific and painful ways. If you’re uninterested in reading about the effects of radiation poisoning, it may be best to steer clear from this article!
The colloquial term ‘Radium Girls’ refers to the young women who were employed by companies such as the United States Radium Corporation and the Radium Dial Company. Most of these young women were between the ages of 15 and 20 when employed by these companies. These companies became popular almost overnight during the late 1910s, as they produced luminous watches and equipment for the military caught in the middle of World War I. In order to paint these watches, however, these girls were taught how to mix glow in the dark paint made from radium powder and water. Not only were these women handling a harmful, radioactive substance without any protection daily, they were also taught to put the brushes in their mouths in order to create a fine-tipped point. By doing so, however, these young women ended up ingesting radium on a daily basis.
At the same time, as these girls were handling radium without protection, the chemists and scientists working in the same factories exhibited extreme caution. Lead aprons, tongs, and even masks were used by the higher-ups within these radium corporation factories. As if the physical protection wasn’t enough, just knowing the dangers of radium is an injustice enough, especially when the same factories constantly assured the radium girls that there was no danger.
Not only were these young women assured (on multiple occasions) that radium was completely harmless, they were also instructed on multiple occasions to put the radium covered paintbrushes in their mouths. As a result, many of these women would play with the radium; painting themselves in the luminous substance and going into a dark room to see themselves glow.
Many of these women were killed as a result of their daily interactions with the radioactive substance. Radium induced cancers, sarcomas (some the size of footballs) and necrosis of the jaw are just some of the ways these women met their end. The necrosis of the jaw often resulted in teeth falling out (and being described as having a “moth-eaten” appearance), constant bleeding and/or pussy discharge of the gums were incredibly common.
Despite the constant injustices faced, these women were finally able to sue the companies who treated them as if they were expendable and win the lawsuit. Unfortunately, many women had already died by the time the lawsuit was settled. Still, the impacts of these women can be seen today in both medical and professional communities.
For more information regarding the young women who unknowingly gave their lives for these companies, here is a link that includes information on these women such as their names, backgrounds, birthdates and personal information.