**Radium Girls**
**Definition**
The Radium Girls were female factory workers in the early 20th century who suffered serious health issues from painting watch dials with radium-based luminous paint. Their case highlighted occupational hazards and led to improved industrial safety standards.
**Article**
### Background
In the 1910s and 1920s, radium was widely used in luminous paint for watch dials, aircraft instruments, and other products. Young women, often called „Radium Girls,” were employed to apply this paint by hand, frequently using a technique known as „lip-pointing” to shape their brushes.
### Health Effects
Unaware of radium’s dangers, many workers ingested significant amounts of the radioactive substance. This exposure caused severe health problems, including anemia, bone fractures, necrosis of the jaw (known as „radium jaw”), and ultimately death.
### Legal and Social Impact
The Radium Girls’ lawsuits against their employers brought public attention to industrial safety and workers’ rights. Their cases contributed to the establishment of occupational disease labor laws and regulations on radioactive materials.
### Legacy
The plight of the Radium Girls remains a significant example of early 20th-century industrial health negligence. Their experience led to stricter workplace safety standards and increased awareness of the risks associated with radioactive substances.
**Meta Description**
The Radium Girls were factory workers who suffered radiation poisoning from luminous paint in the early 1900s. Their legal battles led to improved workplace safety regulations.