![]() If we do detect radium, we will provide more detailed information about our findings. The NRC's regulations are designed to keep radium exposure very low-far below the level where we might expect to see health effects. It is important to keep in mind that the presence of radium by itself does not mean there would be health effects-even if it is above the NRC radiation limit. The NRC and its Agreement State partners regulate these sources to ensure they are used in a way that protects public health and safety. However, radium is still being used today in certain applications, such as industrial radiography. Most uses of radium have been replaced by other radioactive materials or radiation generating devices. Radium needles and other forms were implanted into cancerous tumors to arrest the cancerous growth. Radium was fashioned into various sizes and types of sealed sources, many of which were called "needles" because of their shape. It was used in sealed and unsealed sources for cancer therapy. Radium was used in numerous medical applications during the 20 th century as well. Manufacturers used radium until the early 1970s in self-luminous paints for watches, aircraft switches, clocks, and instrument dials. When they were found to have adverse health effects, such products soon became unpopular, and authorities in many countries prohibited them. At the beginning of the 20 th century, radium was a popular additive in consumer products such as toothpaste, hair creams, and even food items because of its supposed beneficial health properties. The half-life of radium is approximately 1,600 years.įollowing its discovery over 100 years ago, radium has been used in numerous industrial and consumer applications. The time required for the intensity to decrease by one-half is referred to as the half-life. The intensity of radiation from radioactive materials decreases over time. Radium is produced by the radioactive decay of uranium. Thank you again Al.Radium is a radioactive substance found in nature. I contacted Al Archer, who sent me the link to the Canadian website that deals with this material. There are no longer any independent watch repair shops here, so there is nobody who knows of this. This is a free service.Ī call around the city revealed that none of the watch repair places knew anything about how to dispose of Radium dials on watches. I have been in contact with HARP, through the website, and am in the process of having the clock tested, removed, and disposed of correctly. There is much more information on this website. (c) the device is not disassembled or tampered with.(b) the person does not possess more than 10 such devices and.(a) the only nuclear substance contained in the device is a radium luminous compound.Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulationsĭevices Containing Radium Luminous CompoundsĨ A person may, without a licence to carry on that activity, possess, transfer or use a device that contains a nuclear substance, if I don't want to have these destroyed, of course. These are stored over 20 feet away, which is thought to be safe. I also have several early 20thC watches with Radio dials. I am in Canada, so it would only apply in this country. ![]() After some searching, I came across the website below. It no longer works, and we were looking for a way to dispose of it responsibly. I have a 1950's Westclox Mechanical Travalarm Clock with Bakelite Roll Top.
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