Dealing with radioactivity

Also own a Geiger counter and also use it on vintage watches: afaik it's an extremely poisonous material that can't do much to you while sealed under the crystal, but a tiny amount getting inside you is really bad news. I'm not sure what procedures professional watchmakers use with this stuff, but I would do a lot more research before attempting to dissolve it. Unlike the movies it won't make everything it touches radioactive, it's just something you really really don't want entering your body, even in imperceptible quantities.

Owning radioactive material is surprisingly legal in North America (up to 15 pounds of uranium without a license!), but there might (justifiably) be more stringent regulations on pouring it down the sink.

I could page the member that will assure you that if you don't ingest radium, you'll be fine. And I concur. Whoever gets stuck servicing the watch should have some concerns and precautions. There is a case and crystal protecting you.

Someone check my armchair maths and scinece, but 5.5millirads/hr is 5.5 millirem/hr. The feds say that 5000 millirem is max allowable per year. That's about 909 hours. Basically you get to wear it a 16 hour day once a week and you're in the clear unless you have other exposures. Of course the radiation up near vital organs and stuff where it probably matters more will be less. I have never heard of people getting radiation problems on their wrists.

The fact that it's vintage and the Geiger counter is still reading that high, I would not open the watch, you don't want to be contaminated.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium

Go to end for my opinion btws....

*NOT A NUCLEAR PHYSICIST OR A RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEER*

First step figure out if possible what variant aka isotope of Radium it is.

Most are alpha emitting, basic safety don't ingest, touch with appropriate PPE, take crystal off in a sealed case to account for any radioactive Radon gas, etc, etc, etc.

Your counter is in rads, need to convert to REM (roentgen equivalent man) or milisieverts to help with dose, exposure, etc.

WHAT I'D DO IRL

Lastly, if it were me, I'd look up some places to repair/clean it. They will have the niche tools and I'd send it to them. Time is money.

Could I clean it myself, abso-freaking-lutely, but why? Time = money. Or in my case a Time = quality AND quantity time with my girls, which is more permanent.

Thanks. And yea, I want to open it, get rid of the radium, service and clean the movement. Not really worried about wearing it. As I explore watchmaking, I need to have a process for dealing with this stuff. (a SAFE process). So I'm wondering what procedures others use. Open the case under alcohol? Seems extreme, but maybe it's required? What do others do?

TBH, don't carry a Geiger tube with you.

Cause concrete is a natural emitter, along with potassium and other stuff amongst other things.

Once you see past the "veil" or "glamour" as it were of ignorance it'd be easy to live in a bubble.

Radiation is all around. At all times, just sayin. Most is background it low level which doesn't get past your first layers of dermis, is shluffed off and repaired.

I think you should wear a respirator, just in case. To prevent inhaling any particles of radium.

Yea, sending it to a center to do it for me might be the best idea. Get it done right without any hazard to my home.

Also, a larger concern with Radium is your body process and stores it like potassium.

So it ends up in deep tissue, bones, organs, etc. Over time and after ingesting a lot of it, that can be bad. Why it killed many in the early watch industry, they would get it on the fingers, and it would end up ingested into their system every day. Over a 10, 15, 20, year period that minute, chronic dosing is bad

No different than getting juiced acutely with anywhere from 400-500 rem.

Notice I said can be, there is no way to determine how every single person will react to radiation. Too many variables.

Our science about it is based on general populations, LD 50/30 applies to the average. LD 50/30, kills roughly 50% over 30 days.

Specific physiology, stoichiometry, and a whole bunch of other -ologies get involved.

It's what I would do.

But also realize we are talking EXTREMELY minute amounts of alpha particle.

Long term exposure you prolly do more damage to your cells by forgetting sunscreen on the golf course.

But my question is why?

Pay someone to fix/clean it, and while they are add it check the movement, etc. I mean they are going to be under the hood anyway 😂.

Open it up outside or in a room with professional grade ventilation. Wear an N95 mask while cleaning. Clean the dial in this same place. Submerge the hands in liquid before scratching the radium off. Dispose of the liquid at a facility capable of handling toxic waste.

As long as you don’t inhale particles, you’re fine. With these precautions it’s a fun project. The radium girls were ingesting this stuff every day for years to develop real problems, but better safe than sorry.

Radium has a half life of 1600 years. 70 years won’t drop the radioactive output more than a smidge.

I think it is probably best left alone, kind of like asbestos it is less dangerous if it isn't disturbed.

Would you remove asbestos without a qualified professional? No … Radium is to be treated the same as asbestos. It’s toxic period that’s why it is no longer used . I concur about the reading safety calculations done by @poormansrolex . I once heard a physicist say radioactive material is a bit like alcohol. If you drink too much you will die , if you are exposed to too much radiation accumulated in your system, you will die . Wearing anything radioactive on my wrist just would bug me . I would not consider wearing it personally , the way my brain works I just would be bothered by the knowledge of there being radium near me , even knowing the exposure is probably no more dangerous to your long term health as sitting behind an old diesel vehicle in traffic.

226Ra is an alpha emitter. Alpha particles are shielded by a single piece of paper, aka, they can't even penetrate the layer of your skin. It was discontinued because the artists that painted the luminous dials back in the day would lick the paint brushes to make a fine point to paint the finer details of a watch dial with luminous paint, resulting in them ingesting radium and poisoning themselves. Don't lick your watch dial, and you'll be fine. If you are still worried, buy a dosimetry badge, set it next to the watch, and send it out to be analyzed after 3 months. You'll be surprised how much of a nothing-burger it is.

Cheers-

So this video randomly popped up for me on YouTube. Watchmaking starts around 1:05. Seems to be somewhat of an expert discussing this topic. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kew04Qgc1I

Oh, something else I've learned.... Acetone dissolves that paint right off the hands. Can't use it on dials, but hands are easy.

Oh, the active ingredient in figernail polish remover. Keep it far away from plastic.