what is radium

Radium is a soft, shiny, and silvery radioactive metal with the chemical symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the heaviest known alkaline earth metal and is the only radioactive member of its group. Radium is present in all uranium ores and is produced by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in the environment. Radium has few uses today due to its high radioactivity, but it was once used in luminous paints, medical treatments, and consumer products such as toothpaste and hair creams. Radium-223 is sometimes used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. Radium is toxic due to its radioactivity and has no known biological role.