You might pick something up with a Scintillation counter as they're far more sensitive, however as you said the levels on the ground are perfectly safe but a more sensitive detector might still notice something underground.
Possibly, but a Radon Gas detector, a detector for dangerous Radioactive gas Radon, will definitely be positive at that location due to the amount of Radium she has in her. Radium and Uranium are known Radon gas sources.
@@robertsteinbach7325 radon gas would be detected anywhere. Possibly more would be coming out of the ground around their caskets but it’s unlikely to be an increase that’s harmful since the cemetery is well ventilated and any decay products can spread out
Take that counter over to Palos Hills forest preserve where the radioactive waste is buried in a field marked with a large concrete block stating the danger
My wife had radioactive Iodine treatment for thyroid cancer. We pulled out her grandfather's old Geiger counter and sure enough she was registering. We all had to stay away for 3 days. Full recovery, praise God.
@@duxwiththefux It does, but when it comes to cancer it depends on the type of cancer what's the best treatment. If you got a treatment that has a place-in radioactive object, it could effect healthy cells as well, but still better if kills the cancer.
It's so strange that we use radioactive iodine to treat thyroid cancer and yet we take non-radioactive iodine to protect our thyroid from absorbing the radioactive iodine from fallout.
The story about the Radium girls is horrific. There is a book about these poor women written by Kate Moore. It’s interesting but extremely sad. Thank you so much Ron.
Super horrible. The companies were well aware of the dangers and still tried to fight the ladies in court saying their health issues were the girls fault from being “loose and contracting syphillis”
OMG I had no idea about the radiation treatment. I know they stay isolated for a while but figured it was because I always heard that cancer treatments ruins their immune system and they are very fragile and susceptible to germs, bacteria, viruses. I didn't know people had to keep their distance. How do you take care of your loved one in that situation. Ugh. I'm so glad there was no signs of trouble at those graves. That is frightening about the half life of it being 1,600 years. Seriously, industries should not be making anything they cannot easily get rid of and it go back to a natural and harmless state. Too late to avoid that on the Earth unfortunately.
I had radiation in 2007. My godmother and I did treatment at the same time. Neither of us were made to keep away from our family. The only time during chemo I had to isolate was during my stem cell transplant. I was hospitalized for 3 weeks so I could have chemo to drop my immune system to zero. Then after given my cells back I had to stay until my count went back to normal. I had to take antivirals for a year so my immune system could catch up.
The treatment this guy is talking about is a different kind of treatment. Those who have normal radiation treatments are safe to be around, but you are right about keeping some distance because of low immune systems. I was told that if I got sick I would have to stop treatment (they do not want to risk making the others getting treatment sick too) and then they may have to restart the treatment, and there was no way I wanted to do that, so I personally was very careful around normal people when getting radiation treatment.
I got really sick cause of sort of treatment, actually an accident, about 35 years ago. Been on penicillin since then, 30+ years. Sick and evil world we live in, nobody cared.
@@spiritmatter1553 You are correct, if Nuclear Power Plants are built with modern technology geared for safety, in a location that is isolated from population centers, in locations that are meteorologically and geologically stable, and run responsibly. The US, Canada, and Western Europe has over half a century of a great safety record of running commercial Nuclear Power generating plants, with each plant creating hundreds of millions of kilowatt/hours of electricity every day, without spewing pollutants into the air like coal fire electric plants do. Let's compare the safety of getting and manufacturing fuel for nuclear and coal plants for the past 50 years in America. If you count Karen Silkwood, one died in Nuclear Fuel production for these plants; during this time HUNDREDS DIED in coal mine collapses and explosions. In environment damage, the three mile accident was temporary and, in the end, harmed nobody. Coal power generation pollutes the air shortening the lives of people with lung problems (this is proven by medical science) and coal mining creates "tailings" (the waste carbon rich waste rock) that are dumped into the rivers as dams that often collapse and poison the creeks and rivers near the mines, poisoning the local people.
When they test you for heart blockages. One of the procedures has them injecting you with radioactive isotopes. They should tell you that you have to stay away babies and younger people. Also back in the day we used the rule of thumb that after 10 half lives the area of radioactive contamination is safe.
RIP to those poor women. I had to take a radioactive iodine pill last December (2021) to shrink some nodules growing on my thyroid. I was told to flush the toilet twice for a week, and not to get around my grandchildren for 2 weeks. I never felt anything different than normal. The pill came encased in a lead container that screwed shut and the doctor and his assistant wore gowns, masks and gloves. The pill was white, and rather large, about the size of a Vicodin. I swallowed it with a cup of water, and was sent home. My thyroid is now functioning normally. I t was very "hyper" before. I will have a follow-up ultrasound of the nodules next month (May) to see if they shrank. I wish I'd had a Geiger counter back in December, just to see how radioactive I was!
i dont know about brave. they were mislead by lies and taken advantage of and then dismissed as whores with STDs when they started showing symptoms. i wouldn't call that that brave. just tragic.
Our daughter-in-law had Thyroid cancer. The treatment for that type of cancer is radio-active iodine. She was diagnosed just 3 months after having our grandson. It's really tough. She was in a special isolation unit. They came in space like looking suits. Covered head to toe and open a thermos. It smokes and with thongs handed her a large size capsule to swallow. No visitors, etc. The baby couldn't be around her. Very blessed to have been able to bring him home with us. It's a treatment that does work but it's very rough to go through. Thanks for all you do and share with us. Stay safe. 💀❣
Such a sad story. It's hard to imagine just how much those poor women and their families suffered because of a company's greed. Thank you for sharing this.
I knew an old sailor who had been at Bikini Atoll. He said all the science-y guys were in mop suits and protected, but the regular guys were in cut offs and shirtless running around on the sand. He said the VA would pull a tooth every few years to monitor the levels in his body. He wasn't even 70 when he died.
If you want to read the Curies' original lab notes and other reports about Radium that they discovered, you have to get dressed up and go somewhere that keeps radiation inside the room as the levels of contamination in these notes is still so great.
I had radioactive iodine treatment after my thyroid was removed for cancer. They kept doing Geiger readings and released me when the levels went down. Unfortunately, this is still one of the treatments for cancer. I often wonder how much damage it has done.
My mother is 75 years old and has 9 pullups on her thyroid... they have been asking her to do surgery, but she is scared too death because she doesn't trust doctors now days!
@@netsurfers9357 thyroid removal is a pretty simple surgery, better to have it removed then suffer. if she finds a good hospital there shouldn't be a problem.
this story has always fascinated me those woman worked endless hours and when they got sick little was done to help may they be at peace another great video
I too had the thyroid radioactive iodine, I had twins about 18 months, a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old. Was difficult too but they didn’t give us a counter or anything to use at home for those 3 days. I think of that today, and I’m sure it was a semi low dose compared to them. It’s very sad. I wonder if anything ever happened to their family members in the long run. Interesting…but very sad. For all of them. Thanks Ron great video !
Pretty sure those flags are more for staff or people who dig graves to warn them about proceeding with extreme caution if one were to have to dig near them. It is a bit of a relief to know that the lead lined caskets are working.
Good to know those caskets are doing there job. I’ve often thought of those poor women since I saw your first video about them. Such a terrible, sad story. They way they were treated and used is just appalling. May the rest in peace.
When my stepfather had radiation in the hospital he could have a visitor but there was a short “lead” wall you had to sit behind and you could not fully enter his room. The part I cannot confirm is he told us he glowed in the dark... he told some good ones, and I think he really believed that. I tend to think he may have been somewhat delirious.
@@lindasprout9526 I think there are different types of radiation. From what I remember his was a type of injection to treat thyroid cancer. He survived colon, prostate and skin cancer, but ultimately ended up with metastasis in his bones and there were no more chemo options left.
@@lindasprout9526 Precautions are taken after internally implanted radiation treatments. These are usually small implants, such as pellets or beads, and are implanted near the tumor site and left in place either temporarily, or permanently. The permanent implants stop emitting radiation after a few days. The patient will be radioactive during the first days after treatment, contact with others is limited.
One of the girls realized just how bad it was when she got up at night for the bathroom. She saw a glow, realized it was her mirror, and that her bones were glowing through her skin.
I used to live and work there in Ottawa! My daughters received a couple of time pieces from Great Grandpa that were made there in Ottawa. Thank you for honoring those ladies and putting any wives tales to rest about their graves emitting radiation. May they rest in peace. 💕🙏🌸
My father passed away April 12th, 1959. I was 7 years old he had a wrist watch that he wore. The numbers had been painted with radium. It glowed green in the dark. My great niece has it now and it still glows green. Those poor women went through hideous pain. A fun thing you might try is use your thoughts to raise the number on the Geiger counter. We tried the experiment in our meditation group. It worked. Welcome home Ron!
I hope your great niece does not wear that watch on her wrist! There was a 2018 study showing the old Radium dials produce high amounts of radon and are more dangerous than we thought. Store it in a case and only open it outdoors where the gas can safely escape
Ron, thank you for sharing their story again with us and keeping their memories alive! May they RIP, was wondering if any of their family members came down with anything after being exposed to them?? Just like the Atom bomb when they tested it in NM 1945, to this day the radiation levels are still much higher!! ps, like the Middlebury sweatshirt,!! Robert Frost " The Road Not Taken" wink ... : ) : )
My Dad died last year from Osteosarcoma - too many xrays in his head as a child most likely, he had Fiber's Displasia making extra bone growth in his face. Thank God we use lead vests these days.
Nice little toy to have in case you run across some other Graves that could be radioactive. Glad the two graves of these women are protected against radiation leakage. I do remember your video on these two women.
What happened ? To the people that prepared, the ladies .For burial and went back and put them in lead caskets? Did the mortician embalm them? Does the cemetery or whom checks the graves for radiation? How often?
I remember the video you did about those women. They suffered such horrible deaths. Thank you for this video. May they RIP in Heaven. ❤️❤️🙏🙏 I had radiation when I had cancer. Nobody was in the room with me during the scan!
Haven't watched the video yet, but I am willing to bet you're going to be disappointed: 1. Except for Ra 226 (with a half life of 1600 years) most Radium [EDIT isotopes, not particles] have half lives between four days and two weeks. Given the amount of time since those poor ladies passed away, there shouldn't be much radium left. 2. Even without the lead lined coffin/casket, if the bodies are even a foot or two down, there shouldn't be much in the way of Alpha and Beta radiation. As for Gamma, there's not enough lead on Earth to stop that, but at the same time, it's not as likely to pose a health hazard as the other two. High energy particles tend not to stop for much, where as Alpha and Beta do collide with things more frequently. 3. When Radium decays, it turns into Radon gas. I'm guessing those caskets are probably not air tight, so a lot of that (radioactive) radon gas has left the area as well.
Thank you for yet another very interesting video! Have you ever covered the Sylvia Likens case from Lebanon, Indiana? It's pretty brutal and mind-boggling, but this young girl truly deserves to be remembered, as well as her sister.
Glad you made it home safe from your trip Ron. It's very comforting to know that the radium in those women's bones hasn't came out of those graves. It's scary to think that something like that could happen. (if it wasn't for them being in those lead caskets)... It does make ya wonder if their bones are still glowing down in the ground.🤔😬 Glad you did this video Ron, it had been on my mind also if the radium would be detected after all these years. Glad its not. Stay safe out there Ron.🙂💟
My husband had radiation treatments for cancer. 6 weeks at a time and numerous times during his 13 year battle. We were never told to isolate and I drove him home and was his caregiver the entire time. Maybe an implanted type or something else.
By the way Ron I’m very glad to have found your site. I enjoy seeing the parts of the country I’ll never be able to visit. And the respect and information you provide for so many forgotten loved ones.
I believe this only applies to radioactive iodine given in pill form to those with thyroid cancer or other thyroid issues. I had this in 2008 and had to isolate from my family for about a week. (If it is used for other needs, someone please educate me. 🙂 ) 14 years later, all is well, thank the Lord! Kathy, am I correct in assuming that your husband's battle is over? If so, please accept my sincere condolences and prayers on the loss of your precious husband.
You are never disappointing Ron, like you say you learn something new everyday. I've had several loved ones with cancer and after treatments never told to isolate ourselves from them. Just another example of how things change in cancer treatments . Loved the guessing game for the si-fi video , can't wait to see the extra touches you come up with, have enjoyed your previous episodes with birds flying Wheels moving in photographs . Thanks for keeping us so entertained and caring about those who might have been forgotten otherwise. Many blessings to you and your family
IF THAT DEVICE PERFORMS AS ADVERTIZED, the ticking would be from particles hitting the detector. And, yes, everything has some amount of radiation coming from it, including us. It's like heat. Some background stuff isn't going to hurt us. It's when things start getting hot that we have to worry.
My aunt's eyebrows fell out when she was caring for my cousin, who had radioactive seeds in her breast. Family members were skeptical of whether that could happen, but it's not the same as caring for someone who came home after standard radiation treatment with a beam. It seems to me that patients with these seeds should have to remain in the hospital until they are removed, so they can be cared for by people with proper PPE & training.
The only way those coffins or graves would have radioactivity is if some of the radium stayed on the corpse or coffin. Most radiation treatments, the radiation is released from an isotopic source and then stopped. It is usually concentrated in one specific area. Then the source is removed into a safe container. Sometimes an x-ray machine, which is an electron beam generated radiation source is used. Other times. and more recent forms of radioactive treatment for cancer is an isotopic capsule is inserted to a very specific spot in the body and the capsule is left there to run through its' very short half life, then it dissolves or is removed from the body after its radiation energy is expelled. When you exposed to radiation, you do not become irradiated. Once you leave an area or remove the source of radiation, the radiation is GONE. So many people still believe that you glow in the dark and you are irradiated. I took NDT training, Non Destructive Testing. One of the disciplines we learned was RT. Radiographic Testing. That is where we tested parts, most metal parts with X-rays and gamma rays. I went to a Tech School in MN for two years. Non Destructive Testing Technologies. Most of the work I did in my 30 plus career was with ultrasound. RT was dangerous and low paid. I only worked about 5 months total with Radiographic Testing. Then, I went Ultrasound for the rest of my career. I think radium has a very long half life. Half life is the amount of time the source takes to lose one half of its' radioactivity. Cobalt 60 is 60 months or 5 years. Irridium 192 is 192 days, Cessium 33 is 33 years half life. Cobalt 60 and IR-192 are mostly used in radiography. There I go mansplaining again! I only did Industrial work, no medical work.
Okay, We're talking particle physics when we talk about radiation. All radiation happens when the nucleus of an atom (usually a neutron) decays causing the atom to split part releasing bits of atoms and some extra energy. This causes the atom to change into another atom. (There's a whole chain for what gets produced when an atom decays.) But not everything is formed into another atom. - Alpha radiation is emitted in the form of two protons and two neutrons. This is basically the nucleus of a Helium atom. It's fairly big, so it tends to get stopped by a lot of stuff, including your clothing and your skin. As long as you don't eat an Alpha emitter (like Radon), your fine. - Beta radiation is emitted in the form of an electron. It's a bit smaller, so it can penetrate your skin. But it's still fairly big and not very energetic. A thin film of metal or a 1/8th of an inch piece of glass can act like a shield for Beta particles. You don't need to go nuts, but putting anything on it (like a magazine) is enough to shield you from it. - Gamma and X-rays are known as high energy particles. They're basically photons, but really high energy ones, so they behave a bit different from other things on the light spectrum like visible light, infrared, radio waves, and microwaves. They move so fast, they punch out other subatomic particles (Like Electrons) from their happy little places in the world. The bad news is this is why they're very good at making cancers. The good news is they're just as likely to pass through you as they are to strike you. (Photons are very, very small particles.) EDIT: Lead isn't that effective at blocking Gamma radiation. Ironically, water is a far better shielding material than Lead. That's why for spacecraft heading to Mars, they're talking about piping water through the hull of the spacecraft to limit Gamma exposure.
3-4 feet of dirt, a concrete vault and a lead lined coffin would be enough to stop an extreme radioactive signature way beyond anything these human remains could contain. Simple lead foil is so dense that it really blocks radioactive emissions very effectively.
I had radiation for breast cancer but they didn't caution me on staying away from everyone. I had once a day for 30 days. I never thought to do a counter, though. Cancer's gone, thank God. Going back, the guy who has it for his wife had a different situation, she was having radiation pellet for thyroid treatments. My brother had that, not fun. And yes, it's nasty.
People are sometimes buried in lead-lined caskets in order to delay decomposition. The lead lining thickness is no more than a millimeter or two. One mm of lead is about 40-50 times better at stopping gamma rays than one mm of dirt. But guess what... 6 feet of dirt comes out to be tens of times better than the typical lead-lined casket at shielding gamma radiation. So exhuming a radioactive body and re-interring in a lead-lined coffin makes no sense.
Face palm at the story of the guy staying away from his wife. While you can inject radioactive materials to use radiation to kill cancer, most radiation therapies are targeted. Right now, injecting radioactive materials into the blood to kill cancer is the "shotgun" approach and likely to kill just as much healthy tissue as cancer tissue. Most radiation treatment are delivered by devices that can generate a tight radiation beam to slice through the body and kill cancer. This isn't to say that the preferred method won't change in the future, as one of the "holy grails" for cancer treatment is to figure out how to deliver radioactive materials right to the tumors without having it kill healthy tissues. Either the guy who's video you were watching deliberately set up something radioactive in that part of his house... or he has a Radon leak. And Radon will cause cancer. It is not his wife causing the house to be radioactive at that part.
Welcome back home to the Chicago area my friend. I'm enjoying the videos and stories you tell while traveling around the country. Hope you get plenty of rest time with the family. Looking forward to more of your stories and videos Ron. Hope you and your family have a Blessed Easter weekend ✝️.
Hi Ron, I have been watching you from 'the beginning'.. every episode I have watched leaves me thinking that you're a lovely man. Thank you for the sensitivity you bring to your videos. Be well, be safe
Hi Ron, I went through radiotherapy for 4 weeks in 2019 for Breast Cancer but was never told to stay away from people etc, maybe its different in the UK! R.I.P to all those women.
Glad you enjoyed my Geiger Counter video - thanks for the reference! BTW - My wife has made a full recovery. Your channel looks quite interesting - I'm going to check out some of your videos this evening.
Hi very cool. Well you helped me learn how to use it, that’s for sure -and I was blown away to learn about all this in healthcare treatments. Old dog learning new tricks -thank you. I am glad she made the full recovery. That is Great news, and maybe for others very encouraging to hear.
I wonder about cancer patients that receive radiation treatments. I recall my aunt getting 33 treatments in a row. Also radioactive iodine is a treatment for hyperthyroidism. A very devious company harmed these women. Very sad. Especially that picture. Rest in peace.
Radium is a gamma radiation source, and has a half life of 1600 years. Gamma rays are more powerful than x-rays. I assume the earth and containment for their bodies are sufficient to absorb the radiation they might emit so that the levels are around the normal background level. That's the principle of the fallout shelter.
I had to get radioactive iodine treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in October of 2020. It was a pill in a metal box and the person holding the box had to wear gloves and everyone had to leave the room. I had to completely isolate for 3 days in a hospital room that was covered in plastic and they had to tape my phone and laptop for me to use them while I was in there. I had to drink a LOT of water to flush out the radiation and anytime the doctors came in they had to be in full body protection suits to check my radiation levels and then they had to throw them into a biohazard bin as soon as they stepped out of the room. There was a whole section of the hallway that nobody was allowed to enter unless they were in full gear for radiation protection. At the end of my isolation I was finally able to be around my mom but I still had to flush toilets twice every time I went for a few days after. When I was being discharged I noticed a Geiger counter beeping a little even though I was like 6 feet away from it. I accidentally got too close and it started beeping loudly even after I leapt back from it. We had to wait for one of the nurses to come and turn it off. The crazy part is that this is when I was at relatively safe levels and the counter still went off like crazy.
Even before they put the lead caskets the radiation level was totally safe. (you would have had to camp out over the grave for weeks to even be "risky".)
Wow. Did not think about that - radiation coming out. Ron, you’re hysterical, a kindred spirit bc I’d want to bring a radium detector & do the same thing. 😂 “get the heck outta there” 😆 (No disrespect to the victims, tragic story, RIP)
The 6ft of dirt would be more effective. The lead would however stop the decay products from escaping (mostly radon gas). The Radium has a half life of 1600 years so, in about 30,000 years her remains should be safe to handle… Granite has a significant amount of uranium in it so the headstone is probably a worse radiation source…
Another amazing video, as always!! these poor women truly suffered severely from that Radium poisoning... I am absolutely positive it must have been so extremely hard being a family member to sit there and watch your loved one die in such a horrible way and not being able to take their pain from them, is just so very heartbreaking... May these ladies, and all the others who also fell victim to Radium poisoning RIP 🙏😢💜
Those poor women so young too, may they rest in peace. Thank you Ron for letting everyone know that it is safe to visit their graves so that they are never forgotten.
Ron you are awesome, you leave no stone unturned! This was so interesting, seeing how the Geiger counter works and testing the sites. Those poor women, just hope they are resting in peace 🙏💙
So, to speak on radiation, my good friend from work was adopted from Russia. When we were working together she ended up getting cancer. She survived and is ok now but the interesting part. She got cancer because her birth mother was around Chernobyl. She had to take radiation pills I think, unless there’s another form of radiation. Anyways, she had to be in her room for three days as not to hurt people.
You might pick something up with a Scintillation counter as they're far more sensitive, however as you said the levels on the ground are perfectly safe but a more sensitive detector might still notice something underground.
Possibly, but a Radon Gas detector, a detector for dangerous Radioactive gas Radon, will definitely be positive at that location due to the amount of Radium she has in her. Radium and Uranium are known Radon gas sources.
@@robertsteinbach7325 radon gas would be detected anywhere. Possibly more would be coming out of the ground around their caskets but it’s unlikely to be an increase that’s harmful since the cemetery is well ventilated and any decay products can spread out
Something. Called Radon and that stuff tends to concentrate in unventilated basement storage rooms...
Take that counter over to Palos Hills forest preserve where the radioactive waste is buried in a field marked with a large concrete block stating the danger
u r right, I know that place!
My wife had radioactive Iodine treatment for thyroid cancer. We pulled out her grandfather's old Geiger counter and sure enough she was registering. We all had to stay away for 3 days. Full recovery, praise God.
Glad to hear she recovered!!!
How does that not affect her? Crazy!
@@duxwiththefux It does, but when it comes to cancer it depends on the type of cancer what's the best treatment. If you got a treatment that has a place-in radioactive object, it could effect healthy cells as well, but still better if kills the cancer.
So science saves her and you thank god…
It's so strange that we use radioactive iodine to treat thyroid cancer and yet we take non-radioactive iodine to protect our thyroid from absorbing the radioactive iodine from fallout.
The story about the Radium girls is horrific.
There is a book about these poor women written by Kate Moore.
It’s interesting but extremely sad.
Thank you so much Ron.
Yes ..good reading ...have you read it
Super horrible. The companies were well aware of the dangers and still tried to fight the ladies in court saying their health issues were the girls fault from being “loose and contracting syphillis”
There is a movie to 😉👍
I read the book. Such a sad and horrifying story.
Awesome book. Made me cry as these women were totally ignored by their employers. And they call it ‘The good old days’ 🙄
OMG I had no idea about the radiation treatment. I know they stay isolated for a while but figured it was because I always heard that cancer treatments ruins their immune system and they are very fragile and susceptible to germs, bacteria, viruses. I didn't know people had to keep their distance. How do you take care of your loved one in that situation. Ugh.
I'm so glad there was no signs of trouble at those graves. That is frightening about the half life of it being 1,600 years.
Seriously, industries should not be making anything they cannot easily get rid of and it go back to a natural and harmless state. Too late to avoid that on the Earth unfortunately.
I had radiation in 2007. My godmother and I did treatment at the same time. Neither of us were made to keep away from our family.
The only time during chemo I had to isolate was during my stem cell transplant. I was hospitalized for 3 weeks so I could have chemo to drop my immune system to zero. Then after given my cells back I had to stay until my count went back to normal. I had to take antivirals for a year so my immune system could catch up.
The treatment this guy is talking about is a different kind of treatment. Those who have normal radiation treatments are safe to be around, but you are right about keeping some distance because of low immune systems. I was told that if I got sick I would have to stop treatment (they do not want to risk making the others getting treatment sick too) and then they may have to restart the treatment, and there was no way I wanted to do that, so I personally was very careful around normal people when getting radiation treatment.
I got really sick cause of sort of treatment, actually an accident, about 35 years ago.
Been on penicillin since then, 30+ years. Sick and evil world we live in, nobody cared.
@@spiritmatter1553 You are correct, if Nuclear Power Plants are built with modern technology geared for safety, in a location that is isolated from population centers, in locations that are meteorologically and geologically stable, and run responsibly. The US, Canada, and Western Europe has over half a century of a great safety record of running commercial Nuclear Power generating plants, with each plant creating hundreds of millions of kilowatt/hours of electricity every day, without spewing pollutants into the air like coal fire electric plants do.
Let's compare the safety of getting and manufacturing fuel for nuclear and coal plants for the past 50 years in America. If you count Karen Silkwood, one died in Nuclear Fuel production for these plants; during this time HUNDREDS DIED in coal mine collapses and explosions.
In environment damage, the three mile accident was temporary and, in the end, harmed nobody. Coal power generation pollutes the air shortening the lives of people with lung problems (this is proven by medical science) and coal mining creates "tailings" (the waste carbon rich waste rock) that are dumped into the rivers as dams that often collapse and poison the creeks and rivers near the mines, poisoning the local people.
When they test you for heart blockages. One of the procedures has them injecting you with radioactive isotopes. They should tell you that you have to stay away babies and younger people. Also back in the day we used the rule of thumb that after 10 half lives the area of radioactive contamination is safe.
RIP to those poor women. I had to take a radioactive iodine pill last December (2021) to shrink some nodules growing on my thyroid. I was told to flush the toilet twice for a week, and not to get around my grandchildren for 2 weeks. I never felt anything different than normal. The pill came encased in a lead container that screwed shut and the doctor and his assistant wore gowns, masks and gloves. The pill was white, and rather large, about the size of a Vicodin. I swallowed it with a cup of water, and was sent home. My thyroid is now functioning normally. I t was very "hyper" before. I will have a follow-up ultrasound of the nodules next month (May) to see if they shrank. I wish I'd had a Geiger counter back in December, just to see how radioactive I was!
Good luck next month!
@@loribecker7569 Thanks!!!
Wow I Hope U Feel Much Better Ma'am
@@samanthagomez7074 Thank you !!!
@@lsarlls3049 Ur Very Welcome Ma'am God Bless U Always 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thanks Ron for keeping the memory of these brave,unfortunate ladies alive.Bless them all and you as well.
I second that emotion… Keeping their Memories 💐🕊✌🏻🙏🏻
i dont know about brave. they were mislead by lies and taken advantage of and then dismissed as whores with STDs when they started showing symptoms. i wouldn't call that that brave. just tragic.
Our daughter-in-law had Thyroid cancer. The treatment for that type of cancer is radio-active iodine. She was diagnosed just 3 months after having our grandson. It's really tough. She was in a special isolation unit. They came in space like looking suits. Covered head to toe and open a thermos. It smokes and with thongs handed her a large size capsule to swallow. No visitors, etc. The baby couldn't be around her. Very blessed to have been able to bring him home with us. It's a treatment that does work but it's very rough to go through. Thanks for all you do and share with us. Stay safe. 💀❣
So glad to hear it worked.
We are very grateful for that. There are side effects from having so much radio-active iodine in your body. She monitored regularly.
Oh my goodness. 🥺
My children were little but not babies. That had to destroy her. Glad you could help out. The space suits are one of my experience too and a nightmare
So glad all ok XX
It was heartbreaking for me to hear about their story..the company deceiving the employees about the risk..I really enjoy listening to you. 🙏💞Be safe
Such a sad story. It's hard to imagine just how much those poor women and their families suffered because of a company's greed. Thank you for sharing this.
I knew an old sailor who had been at Bikini Atoll. He said all the science-y guys were in mop suits and protected, but the regular guys were in cut offs and shirtless running around on the sand.
He said the VA would pull a tooth every few years to monitor the levels in his body. He wasn't even 70 when he died.
If you want to read the Curies' original lab notes and other reports about Radium that they discovered, you have to get dressed up and go somewhere that keeps radiation inside the room as the levels of contamination in these notes is still so great.
Wow
These womens stories should never be forgotten. Thank you for another excellent video
That was interesting, informative and poignant. Those poor women must have suffered dreadfully and their families devastated. An excellent video.
I had radioactive iodine treatment after my thyroid was removed for cancer. They kept doing Geiger readings and released me when the levels went down. Unfortunately, this is still one of the treatments for cancer. I often wonder how much damage it has done.
They have other types where they don't use iodine thankfully
You're here. Thank Goodness and God!
You're OK.
My mother is 75 years old and has 9 pullups on her thyroid... they have been asking her to do surgery, but she is scared too death because she doesn't trust doctors now days!
It’s what my dad had over twenty years ago.
He’s still fine.
@@netsurfers9357 thyroid removal is a pretty simple surgery, better to have it removed then suffer. if she finds a good hospital there shouldn't be a problem.
this story has always fascinated me those woman worked endless hours and when they got sick little was done to help may they be at peace another great video
I too had the thyroid radioactive iodine, I had twins about 18 months, a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old. Was difficult too but they didn’t give us a counter or anything to use at home for those 3 days. I think of that today, and I’m sure it was a semi low dose compared to them. It’s very sad. I wonder if anything ever happened to their family members in the long run. Interesting…but very sad. For all of them. Thanks Ron great video !
@@spiritmatter1553 thank you, many moons ago I’m old now lol
Pretty sure those flags are more for staff or people who dig graves to warn them about proceeding with extreme caution if one were to have to dig near them. It is a bit of a relief to know that the lead lined caskets are working.
R.i.P to all these women, thanks Ron for sharing their memories. Stay safe out there.
Good to know those caskets are doing there job. I’ve often thought of those poor women since I saw your first video about them. Such a terrible, sad story. They way they were treated and used is just appalling. May the rest in peace.
When my stepfather had radiation in the hospital he could have a visitor but there was a short “lead” wall you had to sit behind and you could not fully enter his room. The part I cannot confirm is he told us he glowed in the dark... he told some good ones, and I think he really believed that. I tend to think he may have been somewhat delirious.
My mother had radiation and chemo treatments 5 years ago and no precautions were taken.
@@lindasprout9526 I think there are different types of radiation. From what I remember his was a type of injection to treat thyroid cancer. He survived colon, prostate and skin cancer, but ultimately ended up with metastasis in his bones and there were no more chemo options left.
@@lindasprout9526 Precautions are taken after internally implanted radiation treatments. These are usually small implants, such as pellets or beads, and are implanted near the tumor site and left in place either temporarily, or permanently. The permanent implants stop emitting radiation after a few days. The patient will be radioactive during the first days after treatment, contact with others is limited.
One of the girls realized just how bad it was when she got up at night for the bathroom. She saw a glow, realized it was her mirror, and that her bones were glowing through her skin.
@@lindasprout9526 Right most who have radiation treatment for cancer don't need to do these precautions
I used to live and work there in Ottawa! My daughters received a couple of time pieces from Great Grandpa that were made there in Ottawa. Thank you for honoring those ladies and putting any wives tales to rest about their graves emitting radiation. May they rest in peace. 💕🙏🌸
My father passed away April 12th, 1959. I was 7 years old he had a wrist watch that he wore. The numbers had been painted with radium. It glowed green in the dark. My great niece has it now and it still glows green. Those poor women went through hideous pain. A fun thing you might try is use your thoughts to raise the number on the Geiger counter. We tried the experiment in our meditation group. It worked. Welcome home Ron!
if you put my geiger counter to your father's watch right now, it will detect some radiation. you can google that.
Of course it would..it still glows a green light at night.
Cool...now make the dead rise for a few minutes.....
I hope your great niece does not wear that watch on her wrist! There was a 2018 study showing the old Radium dials produce high amounts of radon and are more dangerous than we thought. Store it in a case and only open it outdoors where the gas can safely escape
Artemis, I have told her. But we aren't in contact anymore. I was hypnotized by that watch as a little girl.
Geiger Counters have really evolved. They used to be huge😂 Love your channel❤
agree! I was shocked...on Amazon, lol
Ron, thank you for sharing their story again with us and keeping their memories alive! May they RIP, was wondering if any of their family members came down with anything after being exposed to them?? Just like the Atom bomb when they tested it in NM 1945, to this day the radiation levels are still much higher!! ps, like the Middlebury sweatshirt,!! Robert Frost " The Road Not Taken" wink ... : ) : )
not sure about family members, a good question.
Catherine Donohue's son (Thomas Gene Donohue) died at the age of thirty caused by Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
My Dad died last year from Osteosarcoma - too many xrays in his head as a child most likely, he had Fiber's Displasia making extra bone growth in his face. Thank God we use lead vests these days.
I used to feel x-rays as a child. Nowadays they are so minimal i cant even feel them anymore.
That's why medical professionals are VERY iffy about giving kids x-rays! (Atleast in my country)
My aunt was a Radium Girl. Lived into her 80's.
Nice little toy to have in case you run across some other Graves that could be radioactive. Glad the two graves of these women are protected against radiation leakage. I do remember your video on these two women.
This is just FASCINATING! Love the follow-up on this story, and so tragic for these young women.
Hi Ron, you are one wild and crazy guy! LOL I think it’s so cool you bought a Geiger counter. Thanks for sharing and take care 🌺💕
What happened ? To the people that prepared, the ladies .For burial and went back and put them in lead caskets?
Did the mortician embalm them?
Does the cemetery or whom checks the graves for radiation? How often?
I remember the video you did about those women. They suffered such horrible deaths. Thank you for this video. May they RIP in Heaven. ❤️❤️🙏🙏
I had radiation when I had cancer. Nobody was in the room with me during the scan!
Haven't watched the video yet, but I am willing to bet you're going to be disappointed:
1. Except for Ra 226 (with a half life of 1600 years) most Radium [EDIT isotopes, not particles] have half lives between four days and two weeks. Given the amount of time since those poor ladies passed away, there shouldn't be much radium left.
2. Even without the lead lined coffin/casket, if the bodies are even a foot or two down, there shouldn't be much in the way of Alpha and Beta radiation. As for Gamma, there's not enough lead on Earth to stop that, but at the same time, it's not as likely to pose a health hazard as the other two. High energy particles tend not to stop for much, where as Alpha and Beta do collide with things more frequently.
3. When Radium decays, it turns into Radon gas. I'm guessing those caskets are probably not air tight, so a lot of that (radioactive) radon gas has left the area as well.
Thank you for yet another very interesting video! Have you ever covered the Sylvia Likens case from Lebanon, Indiana? It's pretty brutal and mind-boggling, but this young girl truly deserves to be remembered, as well as her sister.
Thanks for going back to these graves. It answers a big question. I don’t think you are crazy.
Glad you made it home safe from your trip Ron.
It's very comforting to know that the radium in those women's bones hasn't came out of those graves. It's scary to think that something like that could happen. (if it wasn't for them being in those lead caskets)... It does make ya wonder if their bones are still glowing down in the ground.🤔😬 Glad you did this video Ron, it had been on my mind also if the radium would be detected after all these years. Glad its not. Stay safe out there Ron.🙂💟
My husband had radiation treatments for cancer. 6 weeks at a time and numerous times during his 13 year battle. We were never told to isolate and I drove him home and was his caregiver the entire time. Maybe an implanted type or something else.
By the way Ron I’m very glad to have found your site. I enjoy seeing the parts of the country I’ll never be able to visit. And the respect and information you provide for so many forgotten loved ones.
I believe this only applies to radioactive iodine given in pill form to those with thyroid cancer or other thyroid issues. I had this in 2008 and had to isolate from my family for about a week. (If it is used for other needs, someone please educate me. 🙂 ) 14 years later, all is well, thank the Lord! Kathy, am I correct in assuming that your husband's battle is over? If so, please accept my sincere condolences and prayers on the loss of your precious husband.
Glad you're home safe and sound. This was a great idea. So sad for the women 😔. May they RIP. Hey from Texas ❤️
This story is so sad. Thanks Ron. You’re truly a compassionate person. Glad you’re home safely.
You are never disappointing Ron, like you say you learn something new everyday. I've had several loved ones with cancer and after treatments
never told to isolate ourselves from them. Just another example of how things change in cancer treatments . Loved the guessing game for the si-fi video , can't wait to see the extra touches you come up with, have enjoyed your previous episodes with birds flying Wheels moving in photographs . Thanks for keeping us so entertained and caring about those who might have been forgotten otherwise. Many blessings to you and your family
There are different types for different types of cancer
You are the only person I know who owns a Geiger counter. 👍😅
Best. Keychain. Ever!
I want one.
IF THAT DEVICE PERFORMS AS ADVERTIZED, the ticking would be from particles hitting the detector. And, yes, everything has some amount of radiation coming from it, including us. It's like heat. Some background stuff isn't going to hurt us. It's when things start getting hot that we have to worry.
My aunt's eyebrows fell out when she was caring for my cousin, who had radioactive seeds in her breast. Family members were skeptical of whether that could happen, but it's not the same as caring for someone who came home after standard radiation treatment with a beam. It seems to me that patients with these seeds should have to remain in the hospital until they are removed, so they can be cared for by people with proper PPE & training.
The only way those coffins or graves would have radioactivity is if some of the radium stayed on the corpse or coffin. Most radiation treatments, the radiation is released from an isotopic source and then stopped. It is usually concentrated in one specific area. Then the source is removed into a safe container. Sometimes an x-ray machine, which is an electron beam generated radiation source is used. Other times. and more recent forms of radioactive treatment for cancer is an isotopic capsule is inserted to a very specific spot in the body and the capsule is left there to run through its' very short half life, then it dissolves or is removed from the body after its radiation energy is expelled. When you exposed to radiation, you do not become irradiated. Once you leave an area or remove the source of radiation, the radiation is GONE. So many people still believe that you glow in the dark and you are irradiated. I took NDT training, Non Destructive Testing. One of the disciplines we learned was RT. Radiographic Testing. That is where we tested parts, most metal parts with X-rays and gamma rays. I went to a Tech School in MN for two years. Non Destructive Testing Technologies. Most of the work I did in my 30 plus career was with ultrasound. RT was dangerous and low paid. I only worked about 5 months total with Radiographic Testing. Then, I went Ultrasound for the rest of my career. I think radium has a very long half life. Half life is the amount of time the source takes to lose one half of its' radioactivity. Cobalt 60 is 60 months or 5 years. Irridium 192 is 192 days, Cessium 33 is 33 years half life. Cobalt 60 and IR-192 are mostly used in radiography. There I go mansplaining again! I only did Industrial work, no medical work.
Okay, We're talking particle physics when we talk about radiation. All radiation happens when the nucleus of an atom (usually a neutron) decays causing the atom to split part releasing bits of atoms and some extra energy. This causes the atom to change into another atom. (There's a whole chain for what gets produced when an atom decays.) But not everything is formed into another atom.
- Alpha radiation is emitted in the form of two protons and two neutrons. This is basically the nucleus of a Helium atom. It's fairly big, so it tends to get stopped by a lot of stuff, including your clothing and your skin. As long as you don't eat an Alpha emitter (like Radon), your fine.
- Beta radiation is emitted in the form of an electron. It's a bit smaller, so it can penetrate your skin. But it's still fairly big and not very energetic. A thin film of metal or a 1/8th of an inch piece of glass can act like a shield for Beta particles. You don't need to go nuts, but putting anything on it (like a magazine) is enough to shield you from it.
- Gamma and X-rays are known as high energy particles. They're basically photons, but really high energy ones, so they behave a bit different from other things on the light spectrum like visible light, infrared, radio waves, and microwaves. They move so fast, they punch out other subatomic particles (Like Electrons) from their happy little places in the world. The bad news is this is why they're very good at making cancers. The good news is they're just as likely to pass through you as they are to strike you. (Photons are very, very small particles.)
EDIT: Lead isn't that effective at blocking Gamma radiation. Ironically, water is a far better shielding material than Lead. That's why for spacecraft heading to Mars, they're talking about piping water through the hull of the spacecraft to limit Gamma exposure.
I work at a nuclear plant and for the most part the general level of radiation is
US Radium really screwed over these women, but they fought back. They didn't benefit from their fight, but they saved countless other young women.
Wow!! That was ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING, Ron!! Looks like the lead lined coffins are doing their job!!
May those poor Radium Girls RIP!! XXXX
3-4 feet of dirt, a concrete vault and a lead lined coffin would be enough to stop an extreme radioactive signature way beyond anything these human remains could contain. Simple lead foil is so dense that it really blocks radioactive emissions very effectively.
I had radiation for breast cancer but they didn't caution me on staying away from everyone. I had once a day for 30 days. I never thought to do a counter, though. Cancer's gone, thank God. Going back, the guy who has it for his wife had a different situation, she was having radiation pellet for thyroid treatments. My brother had that, not fun. And yes, it's nasty.
People are sometimes buried in lead-lined caskets in order to delay decomposition. The lead lining thickness is no more than a millimeter or two. One mm of lead is about 40-50 times better at stopping gamma rays than one mm of dirt. But guess what... 6 feet of dirt comes out to be tens of times better than the typical lead-lined casket at shielding gamma radiation. So exhuming a radioactive body and re-interring in a lead-lined coffin makes no sense.
Face palm at the story of the guy staying away from his wife. While you can inject radioactive materials to use radiation to kill cancer, most radiation therapies are targeted. Right now, injecting radioactive materials into the blood to kill cancer is the "shotgun" approach and likely to kill just as much healthy tissue as cancer tissue. Most radiation treatment are delivered by devices that can generate a tight radiation beam to slice through the body and kill cancer. This isn't to say that the preferred method won't change in the future, as one of the "holy grails" for cancer treatment is to figure out how to deliver radioactive materials right to the tumors without having it kill healthy tissues.
Either the guy who's video you were watching deliberately set up something radioactive in that part of his house... or he has a Radon leak. And Radon will cause cancer. It is not his wife causing the house to be radioactive at that part.
Ron, you are always bringing so many interesting videos!!! Things to learn...
Thanks for sharing with us all your knowledge and great videos!!!🙏👍🏻😇
A true Public Service video. Thanks, Ron
Yes very lnteresting video 👍🏻
This is so fascinating! Thank you for posting this follow-up to The Radium Girls. I'm glad that the lead lined coffins are doing their jobs.
My brother had numerous radiation treatments for lung and throat cancer. They never isolated him.
it all depend son the treatment, many isolation is not needed.
So fascinating. They say you can sometimes get a reading on old Fiestaware.
I loved that episode!!!! Those poor girls!!! Also the movie was great too!
I'm glad I found your channel. Your content is always interesting and enjoyable.
I noticed that Geiger was made in the USA ! 👍🏻
Welcome to Ottawa Il Ron, interesting video. Rest In Peace to these Sweet hard working women . Go see the statue placed in their honor downtown
Welcome back home to the Chicago area my friend. I'm enjoying the videos and stories you tell while traveling around the country. Hope you get plenty of rest time with the family. Looking forward to more of your stories and videos Ron. Hope you and your family have a Blessed Easter weekend ✝️.
you too.
1600 half life. So roughly 16'000 years before they're finally free from the radiation. 😱
I saw this movie!! They said they all had syphilis! What ashame to say such a thing
yep, I outlined just that in my episode last year on the whole story
Oh I read the book pika23 I didn’t know there was a movie. So Off I go to look for it.
Hi Ron, I have been watching you from 'the beginning'.. every episode I have watched leaves me thinking that you're a lovely man. Thank you for the sensitivity you bring to your videos. Be well, be safe
You have an obsession with history, the mysterious and the fascinating, like I do.
Hi Ron, I went through radiotherapy for 4 weeks in 2019 for Breast Cancer but was never told to stay away from people etc, maybe its different in the UK! R.I.P to all those women.
Glad you enjoyed my Geiger Counter video - thanks for the reference! BTW - My wife has made a full recovery. Your channel looks quite interesting - I'm going to check out some of your videos this evening.
Hi very cool. Well you helped me learn how to use it, that’s for sure -and I was blown away to learn about all this in healthcare treatments. Old dog learning new tricks -thank you.
I am glad she made the full recovery. That is Great news, and maybe for others very encouraging to hear.
I wonder about cancer patients that receive radiation treatments. I recall my aunt getting 33 treatments in a row. Also radioactive iodine is a treatment for hyperthyroidism.
A very devious company harmed these women. Very sad. Especially that picture.
Rest in peace.
Hi Ron liked the vlog from Margaret P from UK
Short lives they had. Makes me horribly sad for them.
I found out about radiation affects when I worked for the funeral home. Great informative video. Thank you.
Your too cool! Who finds a geigercounter? Lol!
Radium is a gamma radiation source, and has a half life of 1600 years. Gamma rays are more powerful than x-rays. I assume the earth and containment for their bodies are sufficient to absorb the radiation they might emit so that the levels are around the normal background level. That's the principle of the fallout shelter.
Awesome info thanks!
Howdy Ron. Good to know there's no radiation for those who want to visit their graves. Horrid way to die. ❤️
If grass is growing its safe
We watch this channel every evening! Love ya Ron!
I bet that one lady still glows in the dark after all these years.
they will for 1,600 years, no lie, no question.
@@FacesoftheForgotten What happened to them should have resulted in jail time for the people in charge. They were led like sheep to the slaughter.
I had to get radioactive iodine treatment for papillary thyroid cancer in October of 2020. It was a pill in a metal box and the person holding the box had to wear gloves and everyone had to leave the room. I had to completely isolate for 3 days in a hospital room that was covered in plastic and they had to tape my phone and laptop for me to use them while I was in there. I had to drink a LOT of water to flush out the radiation and anytime the doctors came in they had to be in full body protection suits to check my radiation levels and then they had to throw them into a biohazard bin as soon as they stepped out of the room. There was a whole section of the hallway that nobody was allowed to enter unless they were in full gear for radiation protection. At the end of my isolation I was finally able to be around my mom but I still had to flush toilets twice every time I went for a few days after. When I was being discharged I noticed a Geiger counter beeping a little even though I was like 6 feet away from it. I accidentally got too close and it started beeping loudly even after I leapt back from it. We had to wait for one of the nurses to come and turn it off. The crazy part is that this is when I was at relatively safe levels and the counter still went off like crazy.
Welcome Home Ron. Tragic what those poor women went through. Great idea to check the graves with the counter. ❤
I remember this story Ron they will b glowing for a 1000 yrs
Even before they put the lead caskets the radiation level was totally safe. (you would have had to camp out over the grave for weeks to even be "risky".)
Wow. Did not think about that - radiation coming out. Ron, you’re hysterical, a kindred spirit bc I’d want to bring a radium detector & do the same thing. 😂 “get the heck outta there” 😆
(No disrespect to the victims, tragic story, RIP)
Could the lead lined coffins keep the numbers low? Ron, you always go above and beyond when doing stories. Thanks for making them great to watch.
The 6ft of dirt would be more effective. The lead would however stop the decay products from escaping (mostly radon gas). The Radium has a half life of 1600 years so, in about 30,000 years her remains should be safe to handle…
Granite has a significant amount of uranium in it so the headstone is probably a worse radiation source…
Another amazing video, as always!! these poor women truly suffered severely from that Radium poisoning... I am absolutely positive it must have been so extremely hard being a family member to sit there and watch your loved one die in such a horrible way and not being able to take their pain from them, is just so very heartbreaking...
May these ladies, and all the others who also fell victim to Radium poisoning RIP 🙏😢💜
Sorry I have to ask but are you even going to California for little edith cook grave. Nice video today.
not this time, ty.
This is interesting! Thank you for doing this,
This story about the girls was so sad,
Ron, loved learning a bit about the Geiger counter for everyday use.
I had radiation treatment for 8 weeks 5 days a week and no one ever told me to stay away from my family.
depends on the treatment.
Hello MR Ron have safe travels absolutely love your Adventures 💟
Such a sad outcome for those girls.
Great video. What would happen if they were cremated?
Those poor women so young too, may they rest in peace. Thank you Ron for letting everyone know that it is safe to visit their graves so that they are never forgotten.
Ron you are awesome, you leave no stone unturned! This was so interesting, seeing how the Geiger counter works and testing the sites. Those poor women, just hope they are resting in peace 🙏💙
What a great video from Jason ghost hunter from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺
So, to speak on radiation, my good friend from work was adopted from Russia. When we were working together she ended up getting cancer. She survived and is ok now but the interesting part. She got cancer because her birth mother was around Chernobyl. She had to take radiation pills I think, unless there’s another form of radiation. Anyways, she had to be in her room for three days as not to hurt people.
They killed them for money
Thanks for doing this video. I had been wondering since the other video if radiation was coming from their graves.
Oh wow!! This is gonna be interesting!