Answer to Question #1844 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

I collect WW2 aircraft gauges and have been aware of the radium contained on the dials for some time now. However, I did not realize they also placed some radium paint on switches as well. As a result of playing with these switches I have come in contact with radium, or so I think. I would have touched the radium a dozen or so times over the last couple of months. So my question is, how much danger would I have put myself through?

A

Since I have not seen one of your switches, I cannot speak with certainty. Nevertheless, I would be surprised if these switches were designed in such a way that you could come into direct contact with the radium. By WW2, the hazards associated with the ingestion of ²²⁶Ra were well known. Not only was there the safety issue, a design that permitted the loss of the radioluminescent paint due to casual or repeated contact would defeat the very reason for using the paint in the first place. In the switches I have seen, the paint was protected under a glass cover at the tip of the switch. As such, it is unlikely that you have ingested any radium. In fact, I am unaware of any uptakes of radium that have occurred as a result of the simple handling of these sorts of devices. A final word of caution, I would advise you not to open your gauges for the purpose of cleaning them. Paul Frame, CHP, PhD