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The compass itself is not radioactive, the part that is radioactive is the backing. Compasses with glow-in-the-dark backings that aren't connected to electricity are laced with small amounts of radioactive material to make them glow. Radioactive compasses are typically from World War II and Korean War era fighter planes. There are accounts of WWII pilots getting cancer from faulty compasses. I'm not saying that they are extremely dangerous and you should throw them away or avoid buying them, but you probably shouldn't handle or be around one constantly.

-Brett Crider

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14y ago

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