Glowing 'EXIT' Signs|Are Radioactive

WASHINGTON (CN) – Tritium “EXIT” signs, which have tubes that glow in the dark for up to twenty years without electricity or batteries, are radioactive and should not go in the regular trash when spent, because it may leach into groundwater. The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials has petitioned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to change its regulations or publish a guidance document to improve the labeling on Tritium signs so consumers know of the dangers, and to improve accountability for the signs.     Tritium is a byproduct of producing nuclear energy. The signs should be returned to the manufacturer for recycling, or disposed of as low-level radioactive waste once they dim.     Click on the document icon for this regulation and others.