The scientific research notebooks of the French scientist Marie Curie, despite more than a century passing, still pose a radioactive hazard. According to experts, since the pages of the notebooks are mainly contaminated with radium-226, it is only possible to work with them under special protective measures.
The original copies of the notes are stored in specially lead-covered boxes in the National Library of France. Researchers must sign a special document about the risks in advance and use special protective clothing to familiarize themselves with these materials.
According to scientists, the cause of radioactivity is that the radium-226 isotope has a half-life of about 1600 years. This means that even though more than 100 years have passed, only a very small part of the substance has decayed, and there has been no noticeable decrease in the level of radioactivity. In addition, other radioactive products, including radon gas, form as a result of radium decay, which causes the contamination to continue.
According to experts' calculations, Marie Curie's notebooks will remain dangerous to use without special protective equipment until around the year 3500.
In 1898, Marie Curie, together with her husband Pierre Curie, discovered two new chemical elements — polonium and radium — as a result of their research. With these discoveries, they introduced the term radioactivity into science. At that time, since there was insufficient knowledge about the effects of ionizing radiation on human health, the scientist worked directly with radioactive materials on a daily basis.
According to information, radioactive contamination was recorded not only in her notebooks but also on the furniture, personal belongings, and clothes in her laboratory. The complete radioactive decontamination of the laboratory located in Paris was only completed in 1991.
It should be noted that Marie Curie died in 1934 from a blood disease believed to be caused by prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation./AZERTAC