Re[2]: Safety of Am-241 Smoke Detectors

["Eric L. Darois" <daroiel@naesco.com>]

     Mike:
     
     10CFR30.20 provides an NRC EXEMPTION from licensing, not a general 
     license for smoke detectors.  The exemption (as written) is for the 
     reciept, possession, use, transfer of "..detectors designed to protect 
     life or property from fires ..".  
     
     Once you remove the Am-241 from the smoke detector, you no longer meet 
     the intent of the exemption since the device is not a "..detector 
     designed to protect life or property from fires ..".  
     
     Additionally, beware of the relative hazard from Am-241.  The 
     inhalation ALI is 6 nanocuries (12,000 dpm) which makes this isotope 
     one of the most radiotoxic.
     
     Given the above, I don't think that the regulators would approve of 
     dismanteling.
     
     Please let me know if you find anything to the contrary.
     
     Good luck
     
     Eric Darois, CHP
     Seabrook Station
     daroiel@naesco.com


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Safety of Am-241 Smoke Detectors
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet
Date:    9/3/96 4:45 PM


Mike:  I don't know if this will help you, but here goes.  Items like smoke 
detectors, in NRC terminology, are under NRC "general" license (to the 
public).  This means that you and I, as members of the public, do not have 
to have an Agreement State or NRC specific license to buy, possess, use, 
etc., such items.  The manufacturers of these items, however, must obtain a 
specific license from either an Agreement State or the NRC.  The information 
requirements that such manufacturers must provide the NRC in their 
application for a specific license, for gas and aerosol detectors, are set 
forth in 10 CFR 32.26.  Thus, if and when the NRC approves the 
manufacturers' license application, that approved application constitutes 
the "safety evaluation."  Hopefully an NRC expert will reply to you as to 
whether or not one must get a specific license to remove an Am-241 source 
from a generally licensed smoke detector to use in the classroom for 
demonstration purposes.  REGARDS  David
     
     
     
     
     
At 02:59 PM 9/3/96 -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 
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> _/_/       _/_/    _/     _/    _/_/_/      _/_/      russelmj@songs.sce.com 
>============================================================================== 
>
>
>
David W. Lee
Radiation Protection Policy
& Programs Analysis Group (ESH-12)
Los Alamos National Laboratory
PO Box 1663, MS K483
Los Alamos, NM  87545
Ph:  (505) 667-8085
FAX: (505) 667-9726