eli5 How can non-radioactive elements and materials become radioactive?

Question

I understand how uranium is radioactive because it essentially tears itself apart but what I don’t understand is how like plastic and metal tools used to handle it becomes radioactive.

In: 1

Answer 1

Metals generate dust. That dust gets everywhere. Especially when you’re machining it. That dust is radioactive, in the case of uranium. It can also physically absorb into the surface if there’s a lot of heat and close contact, such as machining.

Radiation *can* make other things radioactive, but not usually the radiation from uranium.