What are common uses of americium?
What is Americium?
- Americium is a human-made actinide element part of the periodic table with an atomic number of 95 and has no stable isotopes.
- It was discovered by Glenn Seaborg, Leon Morgan, Ralph James, and Albert Ghiorso in 1944 and isolated by B.B. ...
- It was named after America’s (Seaborg 1991; Seaborg and Loveland 1990).
What is americium 241 used for?
Americium-241 is useful for a wide range of industrial gauging applications and for diagnosing certain thyroid disorders. It is used worldwide to measure the rate of production by oil wells. The predominant commercial use is in ionization-type smoke detectors. /Americium-241/ ATSDR; Toxicological Profile for Americium.
How many protons neutrons and electrons are in americium?
Americium is an actinide metal. Protons: 95. Neutrons in most abundant isotope: 148. Electron ...
Are ionization smoke detectors dangerous?
There is no health threat from ionization smoke detectors as long as the detector is not damaged and used as directed. Do not tamper with your smoke detectors, as it could damage the shielding around the radioactive source inside of them. There are no special disposal instructions for ionization smoke detectors.
How do I remove americium from my smoke detector?
0:064:20Removing the Radiation Source that Makes a Smoke Detector WorkYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what I did already off-camera I opened this up this is how you would normally change the battery.MoreSo what I did already off-camera I opened this up this is how you would normally change the battery. There's no battery in here because I've already cut it out used it for something else.
Is americium still used in smoke detectors?
Most smoke detectors use americium-241 as their source. Some early models used radium-226, and commercial smoke detectors and some residential units used nickel-63. The types of radiation from these sources cannot make anything else radioactive.
Is americium-241 dangerous to humans?
Hazards. Americium-241 has the same general hazards as other americium isotopes: it is both extremely toxic and radioactive. Although α-particles can be stopped by a sheet of paper, there are serious health concerns for ingestion of α-emitters.
Is americium dangerous to humans?
Americium accumulates in human bones and remains there for a long time. Americium emits radioactive alpha particles in the bone that can cause damage to the surrounding tissue. The body normally repairs all of the damage, but if it fails, bone cancer could result after many years.
Why it is safe to have americium in your home?
Ionization smoke detectors have a small americium source encased in a layer of foil and ceramic, which stops the alpha particles from traveling outside of the smoke detector. Because of this shielding, the smoke detector poses no radiation health risk when they are properly handled.
Is radiation in smoke detectors harmful?
Both work very well and are safe to use. There are no health concerns with photoelectric smoke detectors because no radiation is involved. Photoelectric smoke detectors sound an alarm when smoke particles scatter a beam of light in the detection chamber.
Why is americium 242 not used in smoke detectors?
An isotope of americium which emits alpha particles is used in smoke alarms. Alpha radiation ionises the air and this allows a small current to flow between two electrodes. Alpha is weakly penetrating so smoke stops it, the current drops and the alarm goes off.
Are all smoke detectors radioactive?
Almost all smoke-detectors will use a radioactive substance called americium-241. If you live in an older house, your detector might be equipped with radium-226 or perhaps nickel-63. Remember, the crucial point here is that radioactivity is not contagious; none of the substances can make your detector radioactive.
Do smoke detectors have americium-241?
Because they use Americium 241, ionization smoke detectors are the most sensitive to invisible particles found in highly dangerous, fast-burning, smokeless fires.
How much radiation does americium-241 give off?
about 5.4 MeVAmericium-241 emits α particles with energies of about 5.4 MeV, which are stopped by a piece of paper or a few centimeters of air and cannot penetrate the human epidermis. [4] There is little danger from the α radiation unless the americium is inhaled or ingested.
Where can I dispose of smoke detectors near me?
Options for Disposing of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide DetectorsYour local recycling service.Your local Board of Health.Your local Department of Public Works.
What is the americium used for in a smoke detector?
Smoke detectors are common household items that keep you and your family safe by alerting you to smoke in your home. Ionization smoke detectors use a small amount of radioactive material, americium-241, to detect smoke. On this page: About Americium in Ionization Smoke Detectors. What you can do.
How to use a smoke detector?
What You Can Do 1 Use a smoke detector in your home. It can save your life. 2 Never tamper with an ionization smoke detector. Never attempt to tamper with or remove the americium. 3 Replace the batteries. Replace the batteries in every smoke detector in your home twice a year. Most detectors are certified for a useful life of ten years. Check the expiration date on your smoke detector when you replace the batteries. 4 Throw away outdated ionization smoke detectors. Your community may have a separate recycling program for them.
What is the ionization of smoke detectors?
Ionization smoke detectors use americium as a source of alpha particles. Alpha particles from the americium source ionize air molecules. This makes some particles positively charged and some negatively charged. Two charged plates inside of the ionization smoke detector create a flow of positively and negatively charged ions.
How does a smoke alarm work?
The smoke alarm triggers when smoke breaks the constant flow of ions. Alpha particles are very heavy and cannot travel very far. They can be shielded by a layer as thin as a layer of dead skin cells. Ionization smoke detectors have a small americium source encased in a layer of foil and ceramic, which stops the alpha particles from traveling ...
Can americium be thrown away?
They may be thrown away with household garbage, or your community may have a separate recycling program. This diagram shows how an americium source ionizes air particles and makes an ionization smoke detector work.
Is a smoke detector a radiation detector?
Because of this shielding, the smoke detector poses no radiation health risk when they are properly handled. There is no health threat from ionization smoke detectors as long as the detector is not damaged and used as directed. Do not tamper with your smoke detectors, as it could damage the shielding around the radioactive source inside of them.
What is the Americium 241 detector?
All ionization detectors contain a minimal amount of Americium 241 which is encapsulated in gold foil and shielded on all sides by stainless steel.
How does smoke affect a smoke detector?
Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor, triggering the alarm. Photoelectric smoke detectors use a light source and a photosensitive “eye” arranged in the detector chamber so that the eye does not normally see light. When smoke particles enter the chamber, they deflect light into the photosensitive eye and the alarm sounds.
Why are ionization smoke detectors so sensitive?
Because they use Americium 241, ionization smoke detectors are the most sensitive to invisible particles found in highly dangerous, fast-burning, smokeless fires. The low manufacturing cost of this type of sensor also makes them highly affordable. Photoelectric smoke alarms are generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period ...
What type of smoke alarm is more responsive to fire?
Ionization smoke alarms are generally more responsive to flaming fires. Ionization-type smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates, which ionizes the air and causes current to flow between the plates.
What is a photoelectric fire alarm?
Photoelectric smoke alarms are generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering (called “smoldering fires”). Photoelectric-type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor, triggering the alarm.
Is americium 241 harmful?
Americium 241 is harmless outside the body because the radiation it emits is too weak to penetrate human skin. Swallowing Americium—even though this is not recommended—is also considered harmless.
Can you throw a smoke detector in the trash?
However, if the waste from your town is incinerated, smoke detectors containing Americium-241 should not be thrown in the trash as they may set off radiation detection alarms at the incineration facility and the load will be rejected.
Are all Smoke Detectors Radioactive?
No, not all smoke detectors have radioactive material in them. However, the vast majority of them do.
Is the Radiation in Smoke Detectors Dangerous?
The amount of radiation used is very small and not harmful to you at all. In fact, it is so low that your body naturally emits more on a daily basis than what these units use.
What is Americium?
Americium is a radioactive material that is used in smoke detectors. It has a very long half-life and will continue to emit radiation even if the detector is damaged or broken.
So Why is Americium Used in Smoke Detectors?
Americium is used in smoke detectors because it emits a type of radiation that can penetrate through smoke and dust.
So Should You Be Worried About the Radiation from Your Smoke Detector?
Probably not. The levels of radiation emitted from these detectors are very low and most people would not be affected by them.
What Can You Do to Improve Your Situation?
It’s important to find one that is right for you as well as ensure it has been installed correctly.
Final Thoughts!
We conclude that all smoke detectors are not radioactive, but some contain Americium which has a long half-life and emits low levels of radiation.
What is the element used in smoke detectors?
The vital ingredient of ionisation smoke detectors or smoke alarms is a very small quantity (<35 kBq) of americium-241 (Am-241). This element was discovered in 1945 during the Manhattan Project in USA. The first sample of americium was produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons in a nuclear reactor at the University of Chicago. Americium is a silvery metal, which tarnishes slowly in air and is soluble in acid. Its atomic number is 95. Its most stable isotope, Am-243, has a half-life of over 7500 years, although Am-241, with a half-life of 432 years, was the first isotope to be isolated.
What is the americium 241?
Americium-241 emits alpha particles and low energy gamma rays. The alpha particles are absorbed within the detector, while most of the gamma rays escape harmlessly. The americium is present in oxide form in the detector.
How does smoke affect a smoke detector?
Smoke particles disrupt the low, steady electrical current produced by radioactive particles and trigger the detector's alarm. They react quickly to fires that give off little smoke. Ionization smoke detectors expose people to a tiny amount of radiation—about 1/100 of a millirem per year.
What is the name of the material that is used in a smoke detector?
They respond quickly to fires with lots of smoke. Ionization chamber smoke detectors contain a small amount of americium-241 , a radioactive material.
Do fire detectors irradiate?
No. Fires kill people but smoke detectors don't even irradiate them. Ionization chamber and photoelectric smoke detectors are the two most common types. Both work very well and are safe to use. There are no health concerns with photoelectric smoke detectors because no radiation is involved.
Can you throw out ionization smoke detectors?
Some States conduct an annual roundup of ionization smoke detectors similar to that for hazardous household chemicals. Others allow ionization smoke detectors to be thrown out with ordinary trash but recommend that used smoke alarms be returned to the supplier.
Does a smoke detector contain radioactive material?
If a smoke detector contains radioactive materials, a printed notice on the packaging will say so. Because of the long half-life of americium-241, the amount of radioactive material in an ionization chamber smoke detector at the end of its useful life will be about the same as when it was purchased.
Can you return a smoke detector?
Check with your local solid waste district, hazardous waste program, or health department to find out the procedures in your area. All manufacturers of ionization smoke detectors must accept returns—when in doubt, return the detector.
