The exemption for smoke detectors, in 10 CFR 30.20 is limited: "..to the extent that such [exempt] person receives, possesses, uses, transfers... byproduct material in gas and aerosol detectors designed to protect life or property..." If the source is removed from the detector, the exemption is lost, and the possession or transfer (i.e., disposal) of the source is subject to the requirements of 10 CFR 20.
Once the source is removed, the end user cannot legally reinstall it, since he then becomes a manufacturer and requires a specific license from the NRC or an Agreement State.
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Curies forever.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
BLHamrick@AOL.COM wrote:
Actually, domestically-produced smoke detectors are usually distributed as items exempt from regulation, thus the end user can technically do anything they want with them, but I would recommend strongly AGAINST taking them apart, as with one microcurie of activity, they contain about 167 stochastic ALIs.Barbara
Barbara