[Don Halter]

The workers who died were radium dial painters. They used radium compounds to cause the paint to glow. Radium is a significantly higher radiological hazard than tritium. They used to touch the paint brush tips to their tongues to sharpen the points. This resulted in very high doses to the tongue, lips, mouth and GI tract. radium isn't used anymore. Most modern compounds are some sort of phosphorus based paint with either a tritium stimulator or chemical stimulator added. They can also be light activated...they absorb energy from light and then give off the energy slowly as glowing light. Chemical stimulators typically wear out (ie, glowsticks) as the chemical reaction that is giving off the energy uses up the chemicals. Radioactive material can also supply the energy for the chemical compounds. Tritium based compounds wear out with a 12 year half-life. Flourescent compounds don't wear out and will always flouresce in the presence of UV light. Same basic idea, though. The UV energy is absorbed and remitted as light. No UV source (energy source) , no glow. Any ink approved by the FDA or USDA for use in humans or animals will not contain radionuclides. Are these inks continuous glow in the dark, or do you have to stimulate it with light first? The bodies warmth may be enough to cause some compounds to give off low light. Shoot me an email to a link for these inks if you know of one.