The question of radioactivity in alloys

For all those saying tritium glow in the dark sights/watches are more hazardous, they aren't hazardous at all unless you break the glass holding it and inhale. The low energy form of radioactive decay tritium undergoes can't penetrate much air, let alone your dead outer skin.

Having said that, your next biggest risk would likely be in the iron component of the steel, not the trace elements added for hardness, etc. While very rare, radioactive material has been "recycled" with scrap steel and ended up contaminating the products made from it. I am only aware of that happening overseas though. Radioactive sources used for industrial sterilization, weld inspection, and various other uses occasionally go "missing" and end up where they shouldn't.

Honestly though, the stress from even thinking about it once will probably take more time off of your life than any radiation risks from your knives. Save those few minutes to trade for one more slice of bacon....
 
dirc said:
if you want some good science watch this: (they talk about bananas - but it's applicable to all of these trace element situations) - and technically, since you eat them, much more of a possible impact over any knife use :p

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I knew bananas were not to be trusted. :oops:
 
The evidence is pretty strong that low-dose radiation is actually beneficial to your health. Do a dive into radiation hormesis (and critiques of the linear no-threshold model) if you’re interested.
 
Ra-di-a-tion. Yes, indeed. You hear the most outrageous lies about it. Half-baked goggle-box do-gooders telling everybody it's bad for you. Pernicious nonsense. Everybody could stand a hundred chest X-rays a year. They ought to have them, too. When they canceled the project it almost did me in. One day my mind was full to bursting. The next day - nothing.

Repo+Man_4.JPG
 
Danke42 said:
Ra-di-a-tion. Yes, indeed. You hear the most outrageous lies about it. Half-baked goggle-box do-gooders telling everybody it's bad for you. Pernicious nonsense. Everybody could stand a hundred chest X-rays a year. They ought to have them, too. When they canceled the project it almost did me in. One day my mind was full to bursting. The next day - nothing.

Repo+Man_4.JPG
Click to expand...

Just get all of your food from vending machines and you'll be fine. I hear Lorna Doones are the best ;).
 
Have you given any thought to how many different kinds of radiation one might be exposed to on a daily basis? Live near an airport? Radar. Microwave radiation. Live near a radio tower? Microwave radiation.
It's in the air, all around you, all the time, if you're anywhere close to a city. Or if you just like to warm up your breakfast sammich before inhaling it on the way to your workspace while it's still much too hot.....
Infrared radiation, by the way!

What particular flavor of radiation has you perturbed? Gamma rays? X-rays? Neutron radiation? It comes in from space. All the time. 24/7/365-1/4-ish. You wouldn't even be here were it not for celestial radiation.
The pittance of radioactive isotopes in your EDC blade is the least of your worries.

If ya really want sumthin to be afraid of, there's people out that make me look normal. And, while that might seem a bold statement, it gets worse. A bunch of 'em drive.....
 
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