Re: Rad Sources for Workshops

[BLHamrick@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 06/20/2002 9:51:58 AM Pacific Daylight Time, franz.schoenhofer@chello.at writes:



> As far as I know, the americium is fixed at the surface of a ceramic matrix.
>
> How to ingest it without breaking your teeth?


I seem to remember a Sealed Source and Device sheet on one of these that said it was a plated source.  I agree with commenters that the source swallowed whole would likely pass through the body relatively in tact.  Nevertheless, once one starts taking them apart, playing with them, possibly melting them down, or tossing them in the fireplace, for heaven knows what silly teenage reason, the dangers become more and more imminent.  I would still not recommend dismantling them.


As to the issue of what the exemption in 10 CFR 30.20 allows, one can argue that dismantlement is not authorized, but the reality is, if someone buys a smoke detector at Home Depot, and it changes ownership a dozen times, which it can, with no instruction, nor caveats (i.e., there is no requirement for the initial purchaser to provide instructions to the secondary transferee), then the end owner really can do whatever they want with the source.  One can claim the regulations don't specifically allow taking them apart, or smelting them, or scraping off the americium to top your cereal, but the reality is nothing really prevents that.


Barbara