☢️ Radiation nearby: exploring what may be hidden in an ordinary home

⌚ One of the objects we recently examined was an old Soviet wristwatch. Most of the watches we tested showed normal readings, but one of them demonstrated a significantly elevated level of ionizing radiation near the watch face.

☢️ The likely source is the old luminous paint applied to the hands and hour markers. Such luminous compounds could contain radium-226, which has a half-life of about 1,600 years. This means that a watch may have stopped glowing decades ago while the radioactive material can still remain active.

⚠️ Such items should not be dismantled or cleaned without proper precautions: old luminous paint can deteriorate and its particles may potentially enter the body.

🎥 Today, our research attracted the attention of journalists from Suspilne Dnipro. We discussed radiation safety, our measurement results, and how to handle such objects safely. For us, it is also an opportunity to share our research with the wider public.

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