CeramicsĬeramic materials (for example, tiles, pottery) often contain elevated levels of naturally occurring uranium, thorium, and/or potassium. As such, caution should be exercised when handling these items. If these older timepieces are opened and the dial or hands handled, some of the radium could be picked up and possibly ingested. Older (for example, pre-1970) watches and clocks used radium-226 as a source of light. Modern watches and clocks sometimes use a small quantity of hydrogen-3 (tritium) or promethium-147 as a source of light. The answer, of course, is "yes, they are safe." Instructions for proper installation, handling, and disposal of smoke detectors are found on the package. Despite the fact that these devices save lives, the question "are smoke detectors safe?" is still asked by those with an inordinate fear of radiation.
Any smoke particles that enter the unit reduce the current and set off an alarm. Alpha particles emitted by the americium ionize the air, making the air conductive. Most residential smoke detectors contain a low-activity americium-241 source. This document describes a few of the more commonly encountered and familiar consumer products that can contain sufficient radioactive material for it to be distinguished from background with a simple handheld radiation survey meter. Careful analyses can identify and quantify the radioactive material in just about anything. Although they might be familiar with the use of radiation to diagnose disease and treat cancer, many people, when they hear the terms "radioactive" and "radiation," tend to think of mushroom clouds and the monster mutants that inhabit the world of science fiction movies and comic books. Is Anything We Use in Everyday Life Radioactive?*Įverything we encounter in our daily lives contains some radioactive material, some naturally occurring and some man-made: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the ground we walk upon, and the consumer products we purchase and use.
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