Radioactive elements can destroy normal cells in the human body and even kill people, and many people are afraid to avoid them. However, a few decades ago, radioactive elements were added to some health products, daily necessities or toys.
Nuclear fuel in toothpaste
Thorium (tǔ) is a potential nuclear fuel, during World War II, a German company had a large number of thorium elements, but not to make atomic bombs, but to make toothpaste, and claimed that this toothpaste can use thorium rays to effectively kill harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Thorium toothpaste
This thorium toothpaste was very popular until two atomic bombs dropped by the United States exploded in Japan, and nuclear radiation caused a large number of Japanese people to die painfully, and people realized that thorium could be harmful, so they stopped selling thorium toothpaste.
Uranium ore atomic energy toys
Uranium (yóu) is an important nuclear fuel commonly used to make atomic bombs and is generally difficult to see in life. But in the 1950s, people could buy toys containing uranium. The simple toy packaging contains genuine uranium ore and atomic test equipment for nuclear weapons, and manufacturers use learning about atomic energy as a selling point for this toy.
However, many children who have been exposed to this toy have symptoms such as nosebleeds and dizziness. The toy was discontinued and recalled.
Radium products that cure all diseases
Radium (léi) element is used in modern times in cancer treatment, oil exploration and the manufacture of atomic bombs, but in the 1920s and 1930s, European and American life can be seen everywhere in radium-containing products. Cosmetics, clothes, clocks, shoe polish, hot springs...
A wide variety of radium-containing products
Radium is found even in food. Radium-containing products are usually expensive, but they are still hot sellers, because radium is the panacea in people's eyes. At that time, it was believed that since radium could even treat cancer, it was natural to treat other diseases, and healthy people could prolong their lives by using it.
However, the opposite is true.
Glowing corpses
In the 1920s, a female worker at an American company used her mouth to wet brushes containing radium pigments every day to color the company's luminous clocks. Soon, they fell ill and died. Years later, their bodies are still highly radioactive, emitting the same green glow as luminous watches.
In 1932, a wealthy American businessman named Eben Bayer drank 1400 bottles of radium-containing health potion in two years, and the merchant claimed that this potion could "water" to eliminate diseases, beauty and wrinkles, and prolong life. His body was placed in a coffin sealed with lead plates to shield himself from the radiation emitted by the body. These two famous events also let people know the true face of radium. As people's understanding of these elements deepened, they learned about their harm and how to use them rationally, rather than simply adding them to various foods and items.
Many of the perceptions that people had taken for granted in the past were later discovered how absurd they were. Today's market also sells a variety of health care products, manufacturers borrow a variety of scientific concepts for publicity, will there also be a situation that thinks it is beneficial, but it is actually harmful?
radioelement
In 1896, scientists discovered that uranium can continuously emit some kind of invisible, very penetrating ray, so they called it "radioactive element". Subsequently, thorium, polonium, radium and other elements that are also radioactive were discovered. Moreover, radium rays have been found to kill cancer cells and can be used in cancer treatment. As a result, radioactive elements leave a healthy impression that people do not realize that radiation can also kill normal cells in the human body.
The reproduced content represents the views of the author only
Does not represent the position of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Source: Big Tech
Edit: Paarthurnax