Answer to Question #2479 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Consumer Products — Watches, Clocks, and other Glow-in-the-Dark

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

I inherited an "Omega Automatic Seamaster Swissmade" from my father. The inscription date on the back was 1962, so I think that was the year that it was sold. Its 12 numbers appear to have been painted on, the type that glow pale green in the dark. This is all the information available on the watch, front and back. Is this watch radioactive and, if yes, was radium or tritium or promethium used? Again, if yes, should I dispose of it as radioactive waste? Worried . . .

I have no way of knowing for sure if the watch is radioactive. Nevertheless, it probably is, and the radioactive material is probably radium. Given your concern, the best solution would be for you to dispose of it. While I wouldn't consider your watch hazardous, getting rid of it might provide some peace of mind. One approach would be to sell it to a collector. If you prefer to dispose of it as waste, you should contact the appropriate department in the provincial government. Determining which one that would be will probably require two or three phone calls. As a start, call the Canadian Ministry of the Environment. The phone number is 416-325-4000.

Paul Frame, CHP, PhD
Oak Ridge Associated Universities

Answer posted on April 9, 2003. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.