Americium: Difference between revisions

Americium being in the smoke detectors at home gives us some dose of radio active partials but only 0.014 mrem to a person who is sleeping for 8 hr. at about 6ft away form a smoke detector. Americium can cause cancer but only in huge doses and if ingested or inhaled would be absorbed through the skeleton and the liver. for Am-241 it could be ingested and not cause damage from a normal smoke detector if the Am-241 is dioxide insoluble form witch most house hold detectors use and cause little to no radiation poisoning <ref>Jefferson Lab  [http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/factsheets/factsheets-pdf/fs23am241.pdf  Health risks of Americium “Environmental Radioactivity, Eisenbud, Merril & Gesell, Thomas,”. Web. 1997.</ref>. We are exposed to americium by ingesting food but its only a minor fraction if its from the original americium. Also you have a higher probability of getting Americium poisoning if you live or work near a nuclear power plant. long exposures can cause numerous diseases including cancer and bone cancer<ref>Lenntech [http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/am.htm  Health risks of Ameicium “Americium facts and health concerns,”. Web. Nov. 17, 2011.</ref>.