The most common item, that most people have or SHOULD have, is a smoke detector. These virtually always work using the physical properties of the radioactive element Americium. Americium's radiation is mostly alpha particles, which are easily blocked out by most materials, and which are virtually undetectable (even with a Geiger counter) more than a few inches away from the smoke detector.
Old watches may be painted with radium to make them glow in the dark. Newer watches tend to be painted with tritum (a radioactive isotope of hydrogen). The alpha particle radiation from tritium is too weak to penetrate even the watch plastic or glass face.
Metal and pottery items in the following household items also may have trace amounts of uranium or thorium:
Old camping lanterns (in the mantels), cloisonne jewelry, old Leica camera lenses (the yellow ones), antique pottery and some rocks and minerals.
There's a rumour going around in the USA that some newly made metal furniture, contains exhausted radioactive material (sold off by USA gov to make money, presumably). Don't know this story has any foundation in truth, though.
Old watches may be painted with radium to make them glow in the dark. Newer watches tend to be painted with tritum (a radioactive isotope of hydrogen). The alpha particle radiation from tritium is too weak to penetrate even the watch plastic or glass face.
Metal and pottery items in the following household items also may have trace amounts of uranium or thorium:
Old camping lanterns (in the mantels), cloisonne jewelry, old Leica camera lenses (the yellow ones), antique pottery and some rocks and minerals.
There's a rumour going around in the USA that some newly made metal furniture, contains exhausted radioactive material (sold off by USA gov to make money, presumably). Don't know this story has any foundation in truth, though.
