eli5 How come if highly radioactive radium was on watches that the wearers didn’t succumb to radiation poisoning at the wrist?

Question

eli5 How come if highly radioactive radium was on watches that the wearers didn’t succumb to radiation poisoning at the wrist?

In: 186

Answer 1

Radium is not that radioactive. There’s not that much radium in the paint, and the glass and metal of the watch is more than sufficient to contain the alpha particles emitted by the radium.

Radium is not much of a health risk unless you eat it or breathe it in.