Radioactive alkaline-earth metal
Radium
Also known as Ra-226, Ra-228
Radium occurs naturally in uranium and thorium decay chains and has historical industrial, medical, and luminous-paint uses.
Environmental behavior
Persistence and movement
Radium isotopes can remain hazardous for long periods; radium-226 has a half-life of about 1,600 years.
Pathways
How exposure may occur
- Ingesting contaminated water, food, or soil
- Inhaling contaminated dust
- External gamma radiation may contribute depending on isotope and setting
People
Potential long-term human effects
- The body can handle radium similarly to calcium, allowing it to deposit in bone.
- Long-term internal exposure increases the risk of bone cancer and other radiation effects.
Other living systems
Potential ecological effects
- Radium can expose plants and animals through contaminated water, sediment, soil, and food webs.
- Effects depend on isotope, activity, uptake, dose rate, and organism lifespan.
Limits
Important uncertainty
Radiological interpretation requires isotope-specific activity, background comparison, and pathway evaluation.