The Radium Girls: Glow in the Dark Poison
In this episode, we take a look at the tragic story of the Radium Girls, young women in the 1920s who worked with a glowing paint that seemed magical—until it started to poison them. Join host Nanette Ileana as she tells the story of how these women fought back against the company that put their lives in danger, and how their courage changed workplace safety forever. It’s a story of resilience, loss, and ultimately, justice.
Tune in for a fascinating dive into this real-life historical event.
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of illness, death, and graphic medical conditions. Listener discretion is advised.
Resources:
Nam, C. (2023). The Radium Girls’ Eternal Glow: Politics, Gender, and Malpractice in the American Radium Industry. Journal of Student Research, 12(4). https://www.jsr.org/hs/index.php/path/article/view/5526 [https://www.jsr.org/hs/index.php/path/article/view/5526]
Science Museum Group. (2023, April 11). The Radium Girls. Retrieved from https://blog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/the-radium-girls/ [https://blog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/the-radium-girls/]
Grossman, C. M. (2017). Facts and ideas from anywhere. Journal of the American Medical Association. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5595405/ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5595405/]
Monchard Watches. (2023, July 19). The Radium Girls - the dark history behind glowing dials. Retrieved from https://www.monchardwatches.com/the-radium-girls-the-dark-history-behind-glowing-dials/ [https://www.monchardwatches.com/the-radium-girls-the-dark-history-behind-glowing-dials/]
Radium Girls NHD. (n.d.). Lawsuit - The Radium Girls. Retrieved from http://radiumgirlsnhd.weebly.com/lawsuit.html [http://radiumgirlsnhd.weebly.com/lawsuit.html]
George, C. A. (2019, December 1). The Radium Girls: A Tale of Workplace Safety. Juris Magazine. Retrieved from https://sites.law.duq.edu/juris/2019/12/01/the-radium-girls-a-tale-of-workplace-safety/ [https://sites.law.duq.edu/juris/2019/12/01/the-radium-girls-a-tale-of-workplace-safety/]
NPR Illinois. (2018, January 25). The Radium Girls: An Illinois Tragedy. Retrieved from https://www.nprillinois.org/equity-justice/2018-01-25/the-radium-girls-an-illinois-tragedy [https://www.nprillinois.org/equity-justice/2018-01-25/the-radium-girls-an-illinois-tragedy]
Roadtrippers Magazine. (2023, July 26). Glowing graves: How the Radium Girls' suffering helped advance workplace safety. Retrieved from https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/radium-girls-graves/ [https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/radium-girls-graves/]
Britannica. (2020, June 5). Radium Girls: The Women Who Fought for Their Lives in a Killer Workplace. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/story/radium-girls-the-women-who-fought-for-their-lives-in-a-killer-workplace [https://www.britannica.com/story/radium-girls-the-women-who-fought-for-their-lives-in-a-killer-workplace]
NIST. (2022, March 16). New Jersey's 'Radium Girls' and the NIST-Trained Scientist Who Came to Their Aid. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/new-jerseys-radium-girls-and-nist-trained-scientist-who-came-their-aid [https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/new-jerseys-radium-girls-and-nist-trained-scientist-who-came-their-aid]
Library of Congress. (2019, March 19). Radium Girls: Living Dead Women. Headlines & Heroes. Retrieved from https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/03/radium-girls-living-dead-women/ [https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/03/radium-girls-living-dead-women/]
RSNA Journals. (2015, January 27). Radium Girls. Radiology. Retrieved from https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.14141352 [https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.14141352]
ResearchGate. (2024, March 28). The Radium Girls' Eternal Glow: Politics, Gender, and Malpractice in the American Radium Industry. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379273704_The_Radium_Girls%27_Eternal_Glow_Politics_Gender_and_Malpractice_in_the_American_Radium_Industry [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379273704_The_Radium_Girls%27_Eternal_Glow_Politics_Gender_and_Malpractice_in_the_American_Radium_Industry]
Explore the Archive. (2022, November 10). The Tragic Case of the Radium Girls, and Their Impact on Labor. Retrieved from https://explorethearchive.com/the-radium-girls [https://explorethearchive.com/the-radium-girls]
Luce Air Quality. (2023, March 15). The Radium Girls and How They Made A Difference in Workplace Health and Safety. Retrieved from https://luceairquality.com/the-radium-girls-and-how-they-made-a-difference-in-workplace-health-and-safety/ [https://luceairquality.com/the-radium-girls-and-how-they-made-a-difference-in-workplace-health-and-safety/]
National Safety Council. (2017, December 22). The Radium Girls—What Has Really Changed? Retrieved from https://www.nsc.org/safety-first/radium-girls [https://www.nsc.org/safety-first/radium-girls]
Versant Physics. (2022, July 29). What the Radium Girls Taught Us About Radiation Safety. Retrieved from https://www.versantphysics.com/2022/07/29/what-the-radium-girls-taught-us-about-radiation-safety/ [https://www.versantphysics.com/2022/07/29/what-the-radium-girls-taught-us-about-radiation-safety/]
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/friendly-ghost [https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/friendly-ghost]
License code: H0LZ5MARB0B0O9J6
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/weary-pines/home [https://uppbeat.io/t/weary-pines/home]
License code: GYPALDJP94XAUGZ2
