Radium drinking cup found in garage – Ministry warns of radioactive substances

Two citizens discover an old drinking cup in their garage in the Bergstrasse district in Hesse - and report the find to the Darmstadt regional council. That was apparently the right decision: the cup contains radioactive substances that can still be dangerous even after more than 100 years. The authority warns against disposing of such devices with household waste or recycling centers.

The find is a so-called radium drinking cup. These devices were manufactured and sold in large numbers in the first half of the 20th century. They were supposed to enrich water with radon, a radioactive noble gas that is produced when radium-226 decays. The water treated in this way was drunk for supposedly medicinal purposes. The hoped-for health-promoting effect is now considered disproven.

It can be dangerous if the cup is opened, damaged or destroyed, for example during scrap processing. Radioactive material can then be released. If it enters the body through inhaled dust or accidentally swallowed, health-relevant radiation exposure is possible.

Many such devices are probably still in private households. Their owners are often unaware that they contain radioactive material. The devices come into circulation through inheritances, attic finds or purchases at flea markets and on the Internet. Because of their historic appearance, they are often kept as collector's items.

Manufacturing and marketing of the devices is now prohibited. Their possession also requires radiation protection approval. Authorities can seize the devices and have them disposed of properly. For private owners, storage and disposal are sometimes free of charge. The ministry advises that anyone who finds such a drinking cup should neither open it nor dispose of it themselves, but rather inform the responsible authority immediately.