Glowing strip in the f/deck.

[Waldo.P]

I have just been asked by a crew to remove the glowing strip in the flightdeck indicating aileron trim because they are worried that it may give them cancer?
Any suggestions?

[bafanguy]

Waldo,

You mean a scale that is painted with radium like watch hands/numbers used to be ? Can't imagine it would contain enough radioactivity to be a problem. What kind of airplane ?

[Paul Wilson]

If I remember my physics lessons the radium only gives off alpha particles which only penetrate a few mm in air, only caused cancer for the people in the early days painting it onto watch dials, who used to lick the brushes to get a fine point.

[bafanguy]

Paul,

That's what I remembered also but wasn't sure. I'm not a nuclear physicist, but I play one on pprune.

[Lump Jockey]

Sounds Russian..!
LJ.

[fear_not]

What i would worry about, is the product of the Radium decay.
Its Radon, which altough it is a alpha decayer is much more of a problem as it is a gas. (You dont want to have an alpha decayer inside yout body. They cause the most damage)
Altough a good ventilation would solve that problem.

[ad astra]

Unless you are talking about an ancient aeroplane there is absolutely no chance that the luminous strip is radioactive in any way; modern luminous technologies are safe.
Shine a light on the strip - if it gets brighter when the light is off then it is safe as you can't 'charge' radioactive stuff in this way.