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I don’t think I’ve ever encountered one of these particular things objects, but I observe two things: 1. There’s no radiation symbol or mention of any radiatio
by amluto 2y ago
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered one of these particular things objects, but I observe two things:
1. There’s no radiation symbol or mention of any radiation source in the picture.
2. From looking on Wikipedia, this type of device looks like it’s meant to measure radiation, and there’s no mention of any reason that it would contain a radioactive source. Household smoke detectors contain ionization chambers and a radiation source, but they seem to be separate devices.
Is there any reason to believe that this thing contains a radioactive source?
- Doxin 2y agoI mean the guy who went and collected them works in the nuclear industry, so I'd imagine he knows what he is on about.
- throwup238 2y agoThis looks like it measures smoke density by measuring radiation. The americium is bound up in a gold matrix called "Americium alpha foil" and the sensor essentially measures how many alpha particles make it through the smoke or how much the gamma emissions ionize it? I can't tell. According to some random Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents, a specific EC 23095-1 with Serial no. 830101 was used as the calibration standard for testing other MICs: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0037/ML003770968.pdf https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0037/ML003770968.pdf
- input_sh 2y agoNo, it's a smoke detector. Specifically, ionization-type smoke detector, which are based on Americium-241 (half-life of 400+ years): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector#Ionization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector#Ionization The amount is usually negligible, but this is more of a reference device than a normal smoke detector and it definitely looks sketchy enough to warrant such a response. If you look through its manual, you'll see plenty of warnings: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml0037/ml003770968.pdf https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml0037/ml003770968.pdf
- dgacmu 2y agoIt's about 3.5-4 smoke detectors worth. This source contains about 3.5 ucuries; a typical smoke detector contains 1 ucurie or less. I think the biggest danger is that most people know not to dig around in the inside of a smoke detector if they don't want to end up like the Radioactive Boy Scout, but some random thing dropped at a swap -- you might start prying open, and if you eat/inhale the Americum-241 by accident, it's radiotoxic.
- amluto 2y agoHuh, you’re clearly right. I would have expected it to say smoke measuring ionization chamber, to distinguish it from a radiation measuring ionization chamber. Interestingly, the manual explains how to handle and clean the radioactive source with only minor precautions (sec. 5.1.1).