What elements are in fire detectors? americium-241
Can you buy americium?
Currently, the NIDC has Am-241 available for purchase with an isotopic purity exceeding 99% and a plutonium content of less than 1%
. For further inquiries on Am-241 contact the NIDC at
[email protected]
or click the link below to request a quote.
What happens if you touch americium?
Exposure to extremely high levels of americium, as has been reported in some animal studies, has resulted in
damage to organs such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, and thyroid
. It is rare, however, that a person would be exposed to amounts of americium large enough to cause harmful effects in these organs.
Is americium-241 toxic?
IS AMERICIUM-241 HAZARDOUS? The main pathways of exposure from Amercium-241 are inhalation and ingestion. Americium-241 is
a potentially dangerous isotope if it is taken into the body in soluble form
. It decays by both alpha activity and gamma emissions and it would concentrate in the skeleton and liver.
How much plutonium is in a smoke detector?
There are 28 different models of smoke detectors of different origin. They contain between 18 – 37 kBq of Am-241 or between
0.37 – 37 MBq
of Plutonium or around 37 MBq of Kr-85.
In fact,
the alpha particles emitted by the Americium 241 in smoke detectors have a short range. They are so weak that they can be stopped by a single sheet of paper
. As a result, the level of radioactivity present in Americium 241 smoke detectors is virtually undetectable.
Americium is a silvery, shiny radioactive metal. Americium is commonly used in
smoke alarms
, but has few other uses. It has the potential to be used in spacecraft batteries in the future. Currently plutonium is used but availability is poor so alternatives are being considered.
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.
How they work: 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
. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm.
Uranium
is the fuel most widely used in nuclear reactors at power plants. Nuclear energy is created when uranium atoms are split in a process called fission.
Plutonium (chemical symbol Pu) is
a silvery-gray, radioactive metal that becomes yellowish when exposed to air
. Plutonium is considered a man-made element, although scientists have found trace amounts of naturally occurring plutonium produced under highly unusual geologic circumstances. The most common radioisotopes.
David diligently collected the radioactive material from smoke detectors and welded them together
. Then, he placed the substance in a lead casing with a small hole that acted as a neutron gun. He then made a makeshift reactor core with radium, americium, beryllium, and aluminum shavings.
Americium-241 is the only
synthetic
isotope to have found its way into the household, where the most common type of smoke detector (the ionization-type) uses
241
AmO
2
(americium-241 dioxide) as its source of ionizing radiation.
Most common smoke detectors (Fig. 13-2) contain a small amount of
241
Am
, a radioactive isotope. Am is produced and recovered from nuclear reactors.
Bananas have naturally high-levels of potassium and
a small fraction of all potassium is radioactive
. Each banana can emit . 01 millirem (0.1 microsieverts) of radiation.
Americium
, a silvery-white, synthetic element, is created during nuclear reactions of heavy elements. The element and its isotopes have very few but important uses including smoke detectors found in nearly all buildings and the potential to power future space missions.
Photoelectric smoke alarms
Photoelectric alarms work using a
photoelectric sensor
and a light source. As smoke enters the chamber and crosses the path of the light beam, light is scattered by the smoke particles, aiming it toward the sensor, which in turn triggers the alarm.
The short answer. Smoke alarms
detect fires by sensing small particles in the air using a couple of different kinds of technologies
. Once they detect those particles above a certain threshold, they signal the alarm to sound so that you and your family can get to safety and call 911. Smoke alarms save lives.
