Question about radiation.

[Telegrapher]

Hi all, I have a Russian BC-348 J receiver laying around and I’ve noticed that it has a lot of radio luminous paint on almost any part for operation. The switches still glow slightly. All knobs are glowing and even the text on the front plate is all made up of radio active material to make it “glow in the dark”..

Now I’m wondering what I should do with it. As I simply don’t like the risk of being in front of a high level of radiation all the time.. I kinda want to get some helpful tips on what choice to make. I have a strong connection to the receiver as it was my first tube radio.. and it is kinda hard for me to get rid of it. But it’s bothering me since I know that it’s been radiating next to my bed all night long. And I am easily paranoid by the stuff I read regarding radioactivity and it’s nasty effects. I barely touched the radio after I discovered this. It’s doing nothing at all for now except sending a lot of radiation..

It’s a painful decision as I had a lot of pleasure in the first few years of every day operation. Before I knew I was contaminated with radiation every day... The radio luminous paint is also kinda fading off. Just like little tiny parts slowly fall off without noticing after operational use. I am worried that I accidentally ingested or inhaled some little parts of it. But I have no real proof of it that the material has entered into my internal body.. like usual I just operated the radio like a computer and did eat after without washing my hands. So I wonder what the risks are and so on.. This is my worst discovery so far in my SWL hobby.. 

Link to the discovery:

https://youtu.be/bmwKEhpqZPw?list=PL8UE9zbbkEisBK9uhpfYsF5-JeAp-cacU

I will appreciate any help, comments, and tips regarding what choice is the best. It’s a nice radio and a piece of history. All still original and never modified by anyone who owned the radio before I did.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Coincidentally... I make and sell radiation detectors and have some experience in the field   https://www.blackcatsystems.com/GM/GeigerCounters.html

Do you know what radioisotope was used in the paint? I am guessing radium.  No matter what it is... something you do NOT want to ingest or inhale.  Strong alpha emitters are not extremely hazardous if they are contained (on the painted surface, etc) as the alpha radiation is easily stopped by a few inches of air. But if you get the material inside your body... not good. If the radioactive paint is flaking off, it's certainly a health hazard. 

[IQ_imbalance]

Ditto what Chris said.  Alpha emitters are harmless until you ingest or inhale them.  It's probably radium, but could be promethium, strontium, or (less likely) tritium....(https://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/radioluminescent/radioluminescentinfo.htm).  Promethium, strontium, and tritium are beta emitters which aren't quite as bad when ingested as alpha emitters, but you still want to limit your exposure as much as possible.

I think it would be a very interesting question which isotope the USSR preferred for their instrumentation. 

There are spectrum analyzers that can measure the radioactivity coming off a sample and return a list of the radionuclides present.  If you know any first responder types you might ask them if they have access to one....

Perhaps you could seal the paint back onto the radio with some nail polish or something similar?

[redhat]

Most likely radium or strontium.  Tritium paint would be quite the feat, it only exists in a gas state.  I have some tritium thingies on my backpack.  I love the way they glow in the dark....for the last decade and still going.

+-RH

[ChrisSmolinski]

I'd strongly consider getting or borrowing a radiation detector / survey meter, which will let you see how radioactive it is, and whether or not other parts of the shack are getting contaminated.  You can probably find something on eBay. Just make sure it reads alpha, beta, and gamma.

[Josh]

If the radium-painted portions are exposed to contact, as in you can touch them, you might want to consider coating them in some clear coat to seal the area and to reduce flaking. By now, the phosphorus is severely decayed by the radium and will flake easily, you do not want to eat or inhale these particles, hence why I say coat the painted surfaces. Just to be safe, I'd always wash hands after using this radio, and consider relegating it to storage for use in ww3.