Re: Safety of Am-241 Smoke Detectors

[schoenho@via.at]

At 14:53 03.09.1996 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>     In a effort to educate the public (especially students) about radiation
>     science it is useful to point out common, non-threatening consumer
>     products like lantern mantles and smoke detectors.
>
>     Can anyone provide references of safety evaluations of these products?
>
>     Specifically, this information is needed for obtaining an exemption or
>     possibly a license for the use of Am-241 smoke detector sources in the
>     class room.
>
>     Thanks for your help...mjr
>
>
>==============================================================================
>     _/_/      _/_/       _/     _/    _/_/    _/_/    Michael J. Russell, CHP
>   _/   _/   _/   _/     _/     _/  _/    _/ _/   _/   SONGS, D3D
>    _/     _/      _/   _/_/   _/  _/         _/       PO Box 128
>     _/   _/       _/  _/ _/  _/  _/           _/      San Clemente, CA 92672
>      _/  _/      _/  _/  _/ _/  _/  _/_/        _/    (714) 368-9127
>_/    _/  _/     _/  _/   _/_/  _/      _/  _/   _/    fax (714) 368-7575
> _/_/       _/_/    _/     _/    _/_/_/      _/_/      russelmj@songs.sce.com
>==============================================================================
>
>
>Michael,

There have been discussions about radioactive material in consumer products
on radsafe some time ago. I remember that it was mentioned that for lantern
mantels nowadays also nonradioactive material (yttriumoxide) is used instead
of thoriumoxide.

For the question of americium smoke detectors I would believe that there are
clear regulations in the USA.

Franz
Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 WIEN
AUSTRIA/EUROPE
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e-mail:		schoenho@via.at