Where is americium found on earth

As Seaborg was due to formally announce the discovery of americium five days later, he let slip its existence, along with element 96, later called curium. The first isotope of americium produced was americium , still the most commonly used form.

The Manhattan Project was busy creating plutonium to be used in nuclear weapons, and some plutonium went through a process of capturing extra neutrons to become and then , which gave off an electron from the nucleus to turn into americium. None of americium's isotopes are truly stable - the longest lasting, americium, has a half-life of years, while many of the 18 isotopes produced only hang around for minutes. Like many of the actinides, Americium is silver-white in appearance, and reasonably heavy with a density similar to that of lead.

It's a solid at room temperature - you'd need to heat it to over 1, degrees Celsius to melt it. But americium has one unique quality. It's the only artificial element - and the only radioisotope - that is routinely found in the home. Actually, I ought to qualify that. We all have traces of natural radioactive elements in our houses.

If you live somewhere like Cornwall with a high preponderance of granite, you will have more than your fair share, for instance, of radon about the place, giving a background radiation level of three times that experienced in London. But americium is the only radioisotope you are likely to go down to the supermarket and buy - what's more, you will have been encouraged to do so by the government.

That's because americium is used in many smoke detectors. A tiny quantity - less than a millionth of a gram - of americium oxide will be sitting in there, beaming out radiation as it slowly transforms to neptunium with a half life of years. The alpha particles flowing from the americium it's a better alpha source than radium pass through a small compartment where they ionize the air, allowing a tiny electrical current to cross the chamber.

If smoke particles get in there, they absorb the alpha particles before they can create ions, stopping the current flowing and setting off the alarm. Every now and then someone will panic when they discover that not only is there a radioactive material in household smoke detectors, but it could, in principle, be used to produce a nuclear weapon.

Assemble enough of that americium and it would go critical. But before any terrorist groups try to corner the market in smoke detectors it's worth pointing out that it would take around billion of them to have sufficient americium assembled to go critical - and even then it wouldn't be enough to put the detectors together in the same place, you would have to painstakingly extract each of those billion specks of the element and mould them together, an effort that would take thousands of years.

Americium has also found other uses for its radioactive emissions, as a source of both alpha particles and gamma rays for medical applications and in industry - but its use is limited to jobs where only a small quantity is required, as it is expensive to produce.

There's a nice irony that the element named after the world's richest, most consumption-oriented nation is only typically used in very small quantities. One of my favourite books in my youth was Isaac Asimov's Foundation. In this book, tiny, walnut sized atomic generators are commonplace.

This was one of science fiction's dreams that never came true - and many people would now be horrified at the thought of personal use of nuclear power. Yet this one element, americium, is the radioactive heart that helps keep our homes safe. Brian Clegg with the element that was born out of envy, but I'm not sure if its compounds are green though. But next week's element certainly is, the discoverer named Thallium after the Greek word thallos, meaning "green shoot". But don't get distracted by its colour, because this stuff is deadly, sufficiently nasty in fact for Agatha Christie to have written a murder mystery about it.

I slammed back the receiver, then took it off again. I dialled the number and was lucky enough this time to get Lejeune straight away. High fever I suppose. And you can hear how Ginger gets on from Henry Nicholls on next week's Chemistry in its Element, do try and join us.

I'm Chris Smith, thank you for listening and goodbye. Chemistry in its element is brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry and produced by thenakedscientists. There's more information and other episodes of Chemistry in its element on our website at chemistryworld.

Click here to view videos about Americium. View videos about. Help Text. Learn Chemistry : Your single route to hundreds of free-to-access chemistry teaching resources. We hope that you enjoy your visit to this Site. We welcome your feedback. Data W. Haynes, ed.

Version 1. Coursey, D. Schwab, J. Tsai, and R. Dragoset, Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions version 4. Periodic Table of Videos , accessed December Podcasts Produced by The Naked Scientists. Download our free Periodic Table app for mobile phones and tablets. Explore all elements. D Dysprosium Dubnium Darmstadtium. E Europium Erbium Einsteinium. F Fluorine Francium Fermium Flerovium.

G Gallium Germanium Gadolinium Gold. I Iron Indium Iodine Iridium. The announcement was meant to have occurred five days later at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. The element was named by researchers for the country that discovered it as well as a mirror to neighboring lanthanide element number, europium. Americium was very difficult to isolate from curium and the process took over a year, according to Peter van der Krogt , a Dutch historian.

The researchers nicknamed the elements pandemonium and delirium and even suggested that those names should become the elements' official names. Despite the researchers suggestions, the elements were given the names americium, after the continent of discovery and following the example of europium, and curium named for scientists Marie and Pierre Curie.

The first substantial enough amount of americium that could be visibly studied was created in , according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Due to its rarity and radioactivity, the uses for americium are few.

Since Pu can be released along with Am in the decay process, the amount of Am will slowly increase for decades, even in the absence of additional Am releases, and then slowly decrease. For example, Am released in nuclear accidents, like the accident at Chernobyl, will stay in the lower atmosphere and begin to settle to earth near the site from which it was released.

Larger particles will settle out more quickly and over a smaller area; smaller particles may remain in the atmosphere for several months and travel far from where they were released. Precipitation removes particles from the air more rapidly. Ultimately, most americium ends up in soil or sediment. While plants may take up Am from the soil, the amount taken up is small, especially in the parts of the plant that are most often eaten i. While fish may take up Am, the amount that builds up in the flesh is very small.

Most of the Am found in shellfish like shrimp or mussels is contained in the shell, rather than in the edible parts of the animal. You may be exposed to Am by breathing air, drinking water, or eating food containing Am; however, the levels of Am in air, water, soil, and food are generally very low, and of little health consequence. People working at sites where nuclear waste is stored, in nuclear power plants, or in other nuclear facilities that handle Am may be exposed to higher levels of americium than the general population.

People living near these sites also may be exposed to elevated levels of americium. People who produce or handle Am in smoke detectors or other devices may be exposed to higher levels. In the case of a nuclear accident, exposure could occur by breathing or eating dust containing Am. Even at sites that contain measurable levels of radioactive contamination, the amount of Am that is taken up into plant and animal tissue is so small that it is of little concern.

Americium can enter your body from the air you breathe, the food you eat, or the water you drink, or from contact with your skin. If you breathe in air that contains americium, some forms of americium that dissolve, easily in lung fluid stay in your lungs for hours or days. Other forms that do not dissolve easily in lung fluid might stay in your lungs for months or years.

Some americium that enters your lungs may get into your blood. If you swallow americium, a very small amount of what enters your digestive tract may also enter your blood. Most of the americium entering your blood leaves your body in your urine and feces.

Of the small amount that stays in your body, most goes to your bones, where it can remain for many decades; a smaller amount goes into your liver and other organs, where it may remain for a few years as the body clears it. To protect the public from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people who have been harmed, scientists use many tests.

One way to see if a chemical will hurt people is to learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and released by the body. In the case of a radioactive chemical, it is also important to gather information concerning the radiation dose and dose rate to the body.

For some chemicals, animal testing may be necessary. Animal testing may also be used to identify health effects such as cancer or birth defects. Without laboratory animals, scientists would lose a basic method to get information needed to make wise decisions to protect public health.

Scientists have the responsibility to treat research animals with care and compassion. Laws today protect the welfare of research animals, and scientists must comply with strict animal care guidelines.

In the process of radioactive decay, americium releases alpha particles and gamma rays. Alpha particles are relatively high energy particles, but travel only extremely short distances and do not penetrate the skin. However, if americium is taken into the body and enters body tissues, alpha particles may produce damage to nearby cells. Gamma rays can travel much greater distances and can penetrate the entire body. Since alpha particles do not penetrate the skin and the gamma rays released from americium sources are relatively low in energy, external exposure to americium is not usually considered to be a danger to your health.

The radiation from americium is the primary cause of adverse health effects from absorbed americium. These may be present in soils and waters in very small amounts as a result of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing prior to the nuclear test ban of Americium from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests may remain in the atmosphere for decades travelling all around the world and settling slowly to earth. Its isotopes decay very slowly in the environment and as a result they can do harm to plants and animals.

When animals are exposed to extreme levels of americium, results may be damage to organs such as the lungs, liver and thyroid. Americium that is present in soils may end up in plants, but only in small amounts. Usually americium particles are stored in parts of the plant that animals will not eat. Within fish very little americium builds up in the flesh or other edible parts and as a result it will not accumulate within food chains.

Back to chart periodic elements. Toggle navigation. Home Periodic table Elements Americium. About Lenntech.