worryingly high radiation...?

[entropydave]

Hi everyone, just a query about my ol' 1940s gold Ebel wristwatch.... not, I know they used radium salts for the luminous hands,but I am surprised to see it measures at 15 microSv/hr.....

I presume that's normal, Just wanted to see what you all thought!

[swansont]

Hi everyone' date=' just a query about my ol' 1940s gold Ebel wristwatch.... not, I know they used radium salts for the luminous hands,but I am surprised to see it measures at 15 microSv/hr.....

I presume that's normal, Just wanted to see what you all thought![/quote']

 

 

Where did you measure that - Front or back?

 

This seems to indicate (anecdotally) that the figure is consistent with some other watches. Looks like reasonably good information, too, at a quick glance, though it uses mrem. 1 mrem = 10 microSv.

[entropydave]

I measured thru the glass - no beta and a little gamma will escape...!

[jdurg]

If you measured through glass, then no alpha, a bit of beta, and a helluva lot of gamma will get through. (Alpha particles are stopped by a few inches of air or a sheet of paper; beta particles, depending on the energy, can get through a thin piece of foil, some glass, and quite the distance in air; gamma rays can plow right through multi-feet thick concrete and is only stopped by VERY dense metals like lead, tungsten, etc). Radium is INCREDIBLY radioactive, to say the least, so it doesn't surprise me at all that you are getting readings at that level.

[swansont]

I measured thru the glass - no beta and a little gamma will escape...!

 

As mentioned in the link, the more relevant reading would be through the back, right against the surface. But even then it's a dose to your extremeties (unless it's a pocket watch) and they have a higher tolerance.

[entropydave]

Yep, I have just measured it from behind - gold is a pretty effective absorber of gamma and it is about 0.5 - 0.75microSv/hr.

Judging by the link given above - I think that sitting on a granite bench is more of a problem! Especially to one 'nads!!

[jdurg]

There's also a chance that they have a lead backing behind the gold that you see as it would be VERY expensive to actually have a thick, pure gold backing. (Though depending on the watch that's not at all unlikely).

[H2SO4]

There's also a chance that they have a lead backing behind the gold that you see as it would be VERY expensive to actually have a thick, pure gold backing. (Though depending on the watch that's not at all unlikely).

 

 

What is it a Rolex?

[Hephaestus]

A friend dragged me into his shed a few weeks ago. His grandfather used to paint Rolexes with RaCl2 containing paint. Surprise, surprise, he pulled out some lead sheet. Inside there was a vial containing approx. 5g of the stuff. I don't have a calibrated detector on me, but he wants me to have it. OK, I'm a sensible chemist and serious element collector, but what would you do with the stuff?

[akcapr]

MAke radon gas =)

[BenSon]

Just put it in a lead box outside your house untill you can get a reading on it, it would be a shame to pass up on that.

 

~Scott

[entropydave]

A friend dragged me into his shed a few weeks ago. His grandfather used to paint Rolexes with RaCl2 containing paint. Surprise, surprise, he pulled out some lead sheet. Inside there was a vial containing approx. 5g of the stuff. I don't have a calibrated detector on me, but he wants me to have it. OK, I'm a sensible chemist and serious element collector, but what would you do with the stuff?

I'd melt it and electrolyse it and get some pure metallic Ra....(I know I know, it's mixed with ZnS....!)

[H2SO4]

I'd melt it and electrolyse it and get some pure metallic Ra....(I know I know, it's mixed with ZnS....!)

 

 

Im sure Marie Curie would've done this already if it was this easy.

[YT2095]

you could put it in a Thermos Flask with cold water and take temperature readings of it once a day, see if it heats up slowly.

Definately keep it in lead afterwards though, and away from rolls of film and the like

[jdurg]

I would definitely not paint my testicles with it. That'd be a bad idea.

[budullewraagh]

i dont think i'd paint my testicles with anything.

 

btw, NEVER ELECTROLYZE (or thermite) RADIUM SALTS. it really isnt a good idea. a few atoms in your lungs will give you a whole lot of problems.

[entropydave]

...I just recalled an incident that happened when I was at school, about 30 years ago or so.... we used to have a Radon generator which was a plastic wash bottle with a load of Thorium oxide (or some white, thoriated powder, presumably Thorium oxide). You left it to accumulate Radon gas and would use in certain practicals in physics. I remember my friend shakking it up and puffing the boody thing in my face - I must have inhaled a cloud of this stuff.... thank heavens for Health & Safety regs, eh?

[budullewraagh]

your friend did this? cancer isnt fun and games, man. how long ago was this?

[Ophiolite]

your friend[/i'] did this? cancer isnt fun and games, man. how long ago was this?

when I was at school, about 30 years ago or so

Pay attention budullewraagh. [And thanks for the advice on the testicle painting. That was a close one!]

Back to the original topic, I suspect that the quality control on the amount of radiocative material applied to the dials of luminous watches was poor: consequently the radiation level being measured by ED could be at any point on quite a wide spectrum.

[entropydave]

your friend[/i'] did this? cancer isnt fun and games, man. how long ago was this?

...well, not a friend exactly, but we are talking about a fellow classmate - remember it clearly - would have been about 1976/77. One would gently squeeze the washbottle and the Rn gas would be puffed out.... I don't smoke and I don't have any coughs or bronchial problems....yet.

Should I raise this long-ago event with my GP? I have been dealing with precancerous colonic polyps for 3 or 4 years ("drug and scrape"...)

[budullewraagh]

did you ever check the radiation levels in your lungs?

 

i think you should talk to a doctor about this. better safe than sorry

[entropydave]

crap.

never even thought about getting it checked.... that's all I bloody need!

good advice - I think I should take it.

[jdurg]

By now, since the event occured about 30 years ago, they won't find any increased levels of radiation in you. Radon has a half-life of about 2.3 days and polonium, radon's decay product, has a half-life of around 128 days I believe. So by now, there is nothing left in terms of radioactive isotopes. (Unless you happened to inhale some of the actual thorium oxide).

[entropydave]

Thanks jdurg! Trouble is, I would have definately inhaled the thorium oxide - I remember the white powder on my specs! There was a cloud of white dust because the silly beggar shook it up and then puffed it...

[YT2095]

there`s a good probability that you`ve ingested some at the time then

 

I could be wrong, but it MAY be possible to check the Tyroid gland for residual radiation, for some reason it tends to accumulate there in some cases.

 

pity you couldn`t find the little idiot that did it, he`s probably no better off than you are, and you MIGHT be able to sue his stupid a$$ for enough money to cover your treatment costs.