Hidden Health Threats From Hemlock and Radioactive Material

Going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, hemlock was actively used as a poisoning agent. It is prevalent in the ancient writings and best known as what killed Socrates as he was forced to drink it. This plant is native to Europe and North Africa but has been naturalized to North America. It can be found along stream banks, ditches and wastelands. 

Much is written on hemlock’s toxic properties as well as its medicinal uses. It is poisonous to humans and livestock. Goats and quail are not affected by ingesting the many parts of this plant. Herein lies the hidden danger. Ingesting the meat from animals that have dined on hemlock can poison us just as if we ate the plant.

On a modern note radioactive materials also pose hidden radiation threats through the use of everyday objects. Radioactivitydoes not diminish over our time line. Low levels of radiation are continually emitted.

One of the properties of radium is its mysterious glow. For most of the 1900s radium was used to make clocks,  watches, and instrument panels glow in the dark. This practice stopped in the 70s as experts realized that radium emits  alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Disassembling devises that used radium poses the highest threat to living tissue.

Up to the 1960s, ceramics (pottery, tiles) were made using naturally occurring radionuclides in the glazes. Most notably Fiesta ware (pre-1930s) gets its red and yellow coloring through this glazing process. Do not use these ceramic pieces to serve food or drink. Broken pieces need special handling to not contaminate our landfills and water supply.

Vaseline and canary glass from the early 1900s got its yellow coloring from adding small amounts of uranium to the glass. The glass glows green under a black light. The U.S. has stopped this practice but several foreign countries still do.

As we become more familiar with our environment we become more aware of the hidden dangers and what measures to take to avoid harm. This comparison takes two examples to illustrate ancient (hemlock) and modern (radioactive material) terms of real hidden dangers. From a single plant to a foreboding term, we are exposed in more ways than we imagine. Food, water, soil, fertilizer, and everyday items have hidden dangers.