I inherited my grandfather’s WWII compass, and had it sitting around for a long time on a shelf. I recently got a Geiger counter, and find that it’s radioactive. Around 10 microsieverts/hr. Apparently they used radium paint to make them glow in the dark. I can’t just throw it away, but I don’t want it potentially causing a danger to others in the room. Is there some sort of lead lined box I can put it in, or some kind of prevention I can do? Is there anyone experienced with this sort of thing that can offer some advice?
Sounds like you should be fine. Most radioactive particles don’t travel far or penetrate very far (why the main danger is from ingestion) so if you aren’t carrying it around and it’s not in a high traffic area of the house then you should be fine. If you want to be sure, you can pop it into ziplock bag.