Posted February 5, 2018 10:00 am by Comments

By Eve Flanigan

A Truglo sight display. They’re “ALWAYS READY,” according to the signage.  (Photo: Eve Flanigan/Guns.com)
In a recent concealed carry class, I extolled the virtues of night sights, those glorious radioactive accessories, as a worthy consideration for concealment pistols. A young man in the class nudged his wife, then raised his hand. “Are they capable of causing DNA damage, especially if you wear them—around there?” he said, gesturing to his appendix zone.
It’s an important question. Can tritium sights inflict damage on reproductive health? I turned to Truglo representative Pliny Gale to help answer the question, and asked for scientific backing to his response. It was provided in minutes.
The short answer, provided by the Health Physics Society, is no—tritium as used in night sights and other products has no power to change DNA. Poisoning from this weak form of ionizing radiation is only possible if large amounts of it are taken in by inhalation or ingestion. Skin is a barrier sufficient to prevent exposure. On their own, tritium molecules can travel just 6mm in air before losing their radioactive charge.
There is some risk of exposure if night sights or other devices containing tritium are damaged. This should serve as motivation to carry tritium

Source: Guns.com

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