Element Facts
SYMBOL
Ra
ATOMIC NO.
88
ATOMIC WEIGHT
226
CATEGORY
Alkaline Earth Metal
PERIOD
Period 7
GROUP
Group 2
Background
Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie, who processed approximately one tonne of pitchblende to isolate 0.1 grams of radium chloride. Marie Curie received a second Nobel Prize (Chemistry, 1911) for this discovery. In the early 20th century, radium was promoted as a health miracle — it was added to toothpaste, cosmetics, and food. The Radium Girls scandal of the 1920s exposed the deadly reality: dial painters at factories who licked their brushes suffered fatal radiation poisoning. Marie Curie herself died of aplastic anaemia from radiation exposure.
Industrial Uses
Radium-223 (Xofigo) is used in oncology for treating bone metastases in prostate cancer — it naturally targets bone tissue. Radium-226 is used in small calibration sources and in some industrial neutron sources. All uses are strictly controlled under nuclear regulations. Most former applications (radioluminescent paint, medical tonics) have long been prohibited.
Scrap Viability
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Radium:
Radium is a highly radioactive alkaline earth metal, classified as a controlled nuclear material. Any radium encountered in scrap (from old instruments, gauges, or legacy industrial equipment) must be reported to the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regulations and dealt with by licensed radioactive waste contractors under the Radioactive Substances Act.
What It's Worth
No commercial scrap market. Radium is classified as nuclear waste. The cost of disposing of radium-contaminated scrap far exceeds any material value.