this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2023
67 points (98.6% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26280 readers
1339 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I inherited my grandfather's WWII compass, and had it sitting around for a long time on a shelf. I recently got a Geiger counter, and find that it's radioactive. Around 10 microsieverts/hr. Apparently they used radium paint to make them glow in the dark. I can't just throw it away, but I don't want it potentially causing a danger to others in the room. Is there some sort of lead lined box I can put it in, or some kind of prevention I can do? Is there anyone experienced with this sort of thing that can offer some advice?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] macarthur_park@lemmy.world 53 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Nuclear physicist here!

I agree with the general consensus in the comments. Alpha radiation from radium is easily stopped by a few centimeters of air, a sheet of paper, and even the dead layer of cells on the outside of your skin. So long as you don’t eat, inhale or inject the radium, you’ll be fine.

I wouldn’t keep it on your person for an extended period of time though - for example carrying it in your pocket every day, sleeping with it under your pillow, etc. Store it somewhere safe and not immediately next to your skin; the back of a drawer or on a shelf would be fine. Feel free to use it or show it to people from time to time. That’s a neat piece of history to have!

[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Just in case, keep a label or warning text with it wherever you store it, OP.