Ionization smoke detectors use a small amount of radioactive material, americium-241, to detect smoke. Some smoke detectorscontain very small amounts of Am-241.

To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:I've got a question about smoke detectors. Americium was first produced in 1944 by the group of Although americium was likely produced in previous nuclear experiments, it was Initial experiments yielded four americium isotopes: The discovery of americium and curium in 1944 was closely related to the The longest-lived and most common isotopes of americium, Existing americium is concentrated in the areas used for the atmospheric In other regions, the average radioactivity of surface soil due to residual americium is only about 0.01 Americium is produced mostly artificially in small quantities, for research purposes. Although most americium isotopes predominantly emit alpha particles which can be blocked by thin layers of common materials, many of the daughter products emit gamma-rays and neutrons which have a long penetration depth.If consumed, most of the americium is excreted within a few days, with only 0.05% absorbed in the blood, of which roughly 45% goes to the Outside and inside view of an americium-based smoke detectorSeaborg, G. T.; James, R.A. and Morgan, L. O.: "The New Element Americium (Atomic Number 95)", THIN PPR Fioni, Gabriele; Cribier, Michel and Marie, Frédéric Toeniskoetter, Steve; Dommer, Jennifer and Dodge, Tony Pfennig, G.; Klewe-Nebenius, H and Seelmann Eggebert, W.
This metallic chamber features a slight gap between its energized plates and the radioactive americium. Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology; UL Smoke and Fire Dynamics Seminar. RadTown presents lessons plans for teachers covering basic concepts of radiation, non-ionizing and ionizing radiation, radiation protection, radioactive atoms and radioactive decay. A tonne of spent nuclear fuel contains about 100 grams of various americium isotopes, mostly Americium has been produced in small quantities in Americium is not synthesized directly from uranium – the most common reactor material – but from the plutonium isotope The plutonium present in spent nuclear fuel contains about 12% of Most synthesis routines yield a mixture of different actinide isotopes in oxide forms, from which isotopes of americium can be separated. For more than 25 years, Canadians have used ionization-chamber-based smoke detectors to warn them of possible fires in their homes. When disposing of a smoke detector, follow manufacturer instructions or check with your local fire department for i…
Most smoke detectors use a small pellet of americium-241 (atomic number 95), used to ionize the air to detect smoke particles. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice.

The 59.5409 keV gamma ray emissions from Gamma rays from americium-241 have been used to provide passive diagnosis of Americium-241 has the same general hazards as other americium isotopes: it is both extremely toxic and radioactive. In a typical procedure, the spent reactor fuel (e.g. The two most commonly recognized smoke detection technologies are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection. Smoke detectors/alarms are important safety devices, because of their obvious potential to save lives and property. The air molecules in the chamber become ionized and these ions allow passage of a small electric current between charged electrodes in the chamber. Remember we each receive about 10 microSv per day of natural environmental background radiation, an extremely low amount relative to the natural environmental radiation around us.Slightly reworded and converted to SI units by Orhan Suleiman, (December, 2016) Ionization-type smoke detectors use ?

Some old industrial smoke detectors (notably from the Pyrotronics Corporation) can contain up to 80 μCi. as a means of detecting smoke particles. What is the dose we might be exposed to from dislodged americium, by inhalation or skin contact? ): Karlsruhe Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Residential Smoke Alarm Performance, Thomas Cleary. smoke detectors.