A few of Kim’s art pieces and some of her ornaments feature river glass that will fluoresce if you shine it under a black (ultraviolet) light. The fluorescence of the glass fragments comes from uranium dioxide (UO2) that is thrown into the mix during the glass-making process.
Yes, uranium dioxide, the radioactive crystalline powder used in the production of nuclear weapons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is responsible for creating that luminous other-worldly glow in many pieces of antique glassware.
A Bit of History
The use of uranium in the glasswork industry was fairly common beginning around the mid-19th century. During the development of the Manhattan Project in the middle years of World War II, most uranium was designated a “strategic material” and a ban was placed on its use in commercial products such as glassware until the end of the Cold War.
Besides making greenish pattern glassware for the home, uranium was also used to produce various scientific instruments in the 19th and 20th centuries.
I’ve always thought of uranium as a relatively “modern” thing that humans discovered, however, it turns out that its use dates back as early as 79 AD. A beautiful mosaic was found in a Roman villa in Cape Posillipo in the Bay of Naples, Italy, by R. T. Gunther of the University of Oxford in 1912. The design included glass tiles made yellow by the inclusion of uranium oxide (about 1%).
About That Whole “Radioactivity” Thing…
Knowing that some of our products contain trace amounts of the same material that gave the Toxic Avenger his characteristic glow, let’s get the obvious question out of the way: is uranium glass radioactive and, perhaps more importantly, dangerous?
As to whether or not the glass emits radiation, yes, it does, but not enough to harm you if appropriately handled (according to studies). A Geiger counter can be used to demonstrate that the glass does emit enough radioactive particles to be distinguishable from background radiation (like the stuff left over from the Big Bang) but in quantities small enough to be deemed safe for humans to handle.
Of course, it should go without saying that one should avoid breaking, pulverizing, or in any way rendering the glass into fine particulates that could be inhaled and absorbed by the body through cell membranes (a process called phagocytosis). The EPA recommends avoiding the use of uranium glass for storing or serving food and drink since chips and cracks can release radioactive particles which can be absorbed.