FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

GLOW-IN-THE-DARK PAJAMAS CONTAIN HARMLESS PHOSPHORUS

Question: Our 5-year-old son received, as a gift, a pair of pajamas covered with glow-in-the-dark patches. Both of our children have gotten glow-in-the-dark beverage cups from fast-food restaurants. Are such materials safe for frequent or prolonged use? Do they contain any radium, like luminescent watch dials used to?

Answer: Glow-in-the-dark objects like your children's pajamas and the fast-food restaurant cups are fun. You do not need to be worried about health consequences from using these items because they do not emit harmful radiation. They glow-in-the-dark because the phosphorus chemical within them has been excited, or gained energy, by exposure to light. The "excited" phosphorus then gives off the typical "greenish" light until it finally gets back to its original energy state. After these items have been left in the dark for a while, they no longer glow. It is this dimming as they are left in areas without light that distinguishes them from objects that contain radium.

You can identify devices that contain radium by two easily recognized signs: 1) They continue to glow even after they have been in the darkness for prolonged periods of time, and 2) They are relatively expensive. Few retail products contain radium these days, but some types of watches and a few other devices are exceptions. While radium emits potentially harmful radiation, the amount produced by the small quantity of radium in a watch dial is of no serious health consequence to the wearer of the watch. The greatest risk associated with radium is to those who manufacture these products instead of to those who use them.

So, let your kids wear their glow-in-the-dark pajamas. They will enjoy them!

Question: I noticed radiation warnings on my new smoke detector. Does this device pose a health hazard to my family?

Answer: Many smoke detectors do contain radioactive material, but the amount involved is actually quite small. As a result, they pose no health risk to building occupants. The amount of radiation exposure from one smoke detector is similar to the amount of additional radiation one gets by going from a community at sea level to one in the mountains. In many areas of the country there is also a low level of radiation present from radioactive decay of naturally occurring elements in the soil and rocks. The level of exposure to radiation from a smoke detector is often several times less than what you would receive simply by living in an area with high background radiation.

I'm glad you are thinking about home safety. Fire is a devastating and occasionally fatal disaster. The warning provided by a smoke detector can mean the difference between life and death. In addition to your smoke detector, you should have a fire extinguisher in your home. All adults and children in the home should understand what they are to do if there is a fire. It is even a good idea to have occasional "fire drills" just like they have in school so everyone understands the safest escape routes from each room. It is prudent to be prepared for a fire, while praying that you never have one.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.