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, if ingested or inhaled Americium 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>  [http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/factsheets/factsheets-pdf/fs23am241.pdf Americium-241]. ''Washington State Department of Health: Division of Environmental Health''. November 2002. Author unknown.</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>[http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/am.htm Americium - Am] ''Lenntech''. Web. Accessed Nov. 17, 2011.</ref>.