It should come as no surprise that materials that were used to make everyday items in the past no longer meet today's safety standards. While the history behind these materials can be fascinating, it's also important to know especially when buying vintage items.
One item that you might want to avoid on your next thrifting spree is radioactive dinnerware.
It's dinnerware that was made from the 1930s - 1970s, and is usually an orange or red color. It's radioactive because of the glaze used on it, which contained uranium.
If it does have a crack or chip, there's a good chance of you ingesting uranium dust — and it goes without saying that that's a no-no. Acidic foods are a no-go on them, too.
TikTok user Krypton, aka @kryptonlmao, specializes in collecting radioactive dinnerware and glassware. He has everything from uranium glass (which glows under UV light) to some pretty crazy Fiestaware.
A lot of people were alarmed, especially those who thought they had that Fiestaware. However, in most cases, they had modern Fiestaware, which is totally safe!
The alarm was real, and pretty warranted. User @loddydobby discovered that her family actually had for real, legitimate Fiestaware that they had been using for decades. Check out how vibrant that orange is.
She checked it out, and yeah... it was the radioactive kind. Not only that, but the bottom actually had chips, which means uranium dust could be around. It would be a minimal amount, but it is a possibility.
He commented on the TikTok and said yeah, it looks pretty real. The only way to truly tell is with a Geiger counter, but those things run for over $100. I would just not use that plate, tbh.
Krypton was in no danger standing next to the plate and had proper safety gear on in case any uranium dust came loose from it.
In addition, the radiation from the plates is minimal, even if you eat off of them.
Basically, you probably won't die or get sick from eating off of uranium-glazed dinnerware, but it's probably better to just avoid it entirely.
What a wild ride we took together!
