Collectors beware: WWII watches cancer risk!
Discussion
Anyone make lead lined watch boxes?
reminds me of the radon scares in aberdeen a few years back:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18218918
reminds me of the radon scares in aberdeen a few years back:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18218918
This is not exactly new news and fairly sloppy journalism,
Radium was used extensively before the switch to tritium. The changeover started in the 50's, but Radium dials weren't banned until 1968.
Radium decays into radon gas. So yeah, if you measure the levels of radon gas per cubic metre inside the watch itself, the levels will be high, largely because the volume of air is low. Radon gas itself has a half life of under 4 days. So the potential for your watch to fill your house with radon gas is pretty low. Maybe if you had 500 watches in a room with poor airflow there would be an appreciable risk to health, but one or two?
Radium has a half life of 1600 years. So every watch manufactured is just as radioactive as it ever was. As it decays, the ionising radiation causes the florescent chemicals in the lume to emit light. Sadly these lose their ability to produce light at a much faster rate than the radium looses it's ability to emit radiation!
So you need to know that your radium lumed watch is still very radioactive, even though the lume is no longer luminous. It is also very common to see the luminous paint missing from hands and dials. It does crumble to dust. The advice not to open the cases of these watches is good.
.
Radium was used extensively before the switch to tritium. The changeover started in the 50's, but Radium dials weren't banned until 1968.
Radium decays into radon gas. So yeah, if you measure the levels of radon gas per cubic metre inside the watch itself, the levels will be high, largely because the volume of air is low. Radon gas itself has a half life of under 4 days. So the potential for your watch to fill your house with radon gas is pretty low. Maybe if you had 500 watches in a room with poor airflow there would be an appreciable risk to health, but one or two?
Radium has a half life of 1600 years. So every watch manufactured is just as radioactive as it ever was. As it decays, the ionising radiation causes the florescent chemicals in the lume to emit light. Sadly these lose their ability to produce light at a much faster rate than the radium looses it's ability to emit radiation!
So you need to know that your radium lumed watch is still very radioactive, even though the lume is no longer luminous. It is also very common to see the luminous paint missing from hands and dials. It does crumble to dust. The advice not to open the cases of these watches is good.
.
Edited by mikeveal on Friday 15th June 13:44
Lorne said:
Anyone make lead lined watch boxes?
reminds me of the radon scares in aberdeen a few years back:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18218918
I come from an area where radon poses a very real threat, The BHI aren't going to be placing radiation meters in peoples watch drawer...reminds me of the radon scares in aberdeen a few years back:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18218918
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