MadSci Network: Physics |
I read an article in NUREG about a teacher taking out an americium source from a smoke detector. All post etc I read talk about doses by ingestion. If somehow that teacher accidenly scratched or moderately damaged that americium source would there be an inhalation hazard. I remember in college someone mentioned that in order to be resirable that particle had to be under 5 microns. Now I know the americium is electroplated etc on a 1 micron layer gold to silver with a 2 micron cover of gold or palladium, really thin!. So if the source was scratched how much do you think would be repirable? And would it produce a dangerous dose? Someone told me in class that it would be trivial because only a very small amout would be repirable, just as swallowing would be trvial because of lack of absorption by the gut.
Re: If Americium soirce was moderately damaged how much would be respirable?
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