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.	HPS and CRCPD Proclaim 8-14 November 2009 as National Radiation Protection Professionals Week
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.	2010 HPS Midyear Topical Meeting Radiation Risk Communication to the Public 24-27 January 2010 Albuquerque, NM
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08 November 2009

Answer to Question #1896 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Consumer Products — Smoke Detectors

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

What would the effects be of exposure to americium? A friend replaced an old smoke alarm containing ²⁴¹Am. As he removed it, much dust, etc., fell from the ceiling onto his forehead. The following day he developed a severe swelling across his forehead and above his eyes. He also suffered headaches and burns, which later blistered. Could the ²⁴¹Am present in a smoke alarm do this much damage, or should he seek an alternative cause? Should the world be warned about the dangers of disintegrating old smoke alarms?

This sort of damage is extremely unlikely to arise as a result of low-level radiation from the small amount of americium in a smoke detector. It is far more likely to have come from some toxic or caustic chemical in the device—perhaps the battery. I believe there are warnings regarding proper disposal on the packages in which smoke detectors are sold. I'm sure these warnings could be better. S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD

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