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Henri Becquerel discovered radioavtivity
By accident Becquerel found out that uranium salts release penetrating radiation that can be registered on a photographic plate. Becquerel went on to win a Nobel prize in 1903 for his discovery with Marie and Pierre Curie. The unit of activity is now named after Becquerel. -
Marie Curie discovered radium
Along with her husband Pierre Currie they discovered radium in 1898 and won a Nobel prize for their discovery with Becquerel in 1903 Marie went on to win a Nobel prize for her work in radium and polonium in 1911 Marie later passed in 1934 from radiation related illness -
New demand for luminous dial watches skyrocketed
When the US entered World War 1 the demand for dial watches increased. A factory was opened in New Jersey The dial watch company decided to do their own radium extraction for their dial paint Women worked without any lead aprons or gloves when painting the dials while the men who worked in the lab were provided radiation protection Women were paid very well some even earning more than their fathers and were told radium was not harmful -
Women start to get sick
Women were encouraged to lick the tips of their paint brushes with radium on them to produce a finer tip. Women also used the paint for fun like on their fingernails and face as makeup. Women would paint their lips multiple times a day. Soon some women started experiencing sores in their mouth, achy jaws and loose teeth. -
First woman Mollie Maggia dies from the factory
In 1922 Maggie Maggia quit her job at the factory due to an unknown illness It all started with a tooth ache and one after another her teeth were extracted in May of 1922 her dentist was lightly prodding at her jaw when the entire jaw broke off She later died from radiation sickness the same year -
the factory covered up the women's illness
in 1924 the gossip of the sick women of the factory was spreading and leading to a downturn in business The factory finally commissioned an expert to look into if the dial paint had any link to these new illnesses When the results came back proving the connection the president of the company was so outraged he paid for new fake findings that were later found to be lies -
The girls fight back
Grace Fryer lead the girls in their fight against the factory she was determined to find a lawyer for the women despite many rejections It wasn't till 1927 that Raymond Berry accepted their case The New Jersey radium girls case was front and center of news articles sending shockwaves and bringing them the attention they needed to win -
The first male radium firm worker dies
It wasn't till the first male died Dr. Edwin E. Leman, the company's chief chemist that the matter was truly taken seriously This death is what started the official charge and investigation of the firm After the case was included what we know as OSHA the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established -
Restriction and monitoring of workers put in place
In 1928 the case had been settled in favor of the radium girls which came with new restrictions and saftey measures for the girls. The Surgeon General and Public Health Service went on to require rigid and continuous inspection of radium plants. Required hourly allocation of radium, use of hoods, and medical monitoring of employees Women were told to no longer use the lip pointing technique -
The Radium Girls legacy lives on
Although the damage is irreversible the women held Radium liable and were given $10,000, and $600 per year while they lived, as well as payment for all medical expenses incurred. The Radium Girls taught us the effects and damages of radioactivity so that going forward we know the risk. They paved the way for safe working conditions under OSHA