Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
You understand that "radioactive decay" means that the radioactivity diminishes, right?
Radium has a very long half-life relative to human life-spans... practically speaking any radium device will be just as radioactive as the day it was manufactured. I would be careful possessing or handling such antiques...
If the paint deteriorates (if the inherent chemistry doesn't do that, the radiation likely will), the dust could be hazardous. Although the risk is probably pretty low compared to being a professional radium paint licker.
Tritium (commonly used today) has a much shorter half-life, about a decade.