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19 March 2010

Answer to Question #6458 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Consumer Products — Smoke Detectors

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

I was recently putting in a battery in my home ionization smoke detector. It was very hot and I was sweating a lot. The battery was close to the ionization chamber and I noticed a lot of sweat ran off my forehead into the ionization chamber. I am now worried that the salt from my sweat could somehow have caused the americium to come out of the outer laminate. Could the salt from the sweat cause americium to become dislodged? I hope this question doesn't sound stupid. I was told in graduate school that there aren't stupid questions. I very highly respect your answers; you are a few of the only people in the know!

You have nothing to worry about; sweat will not cause the americium to be released from the matrix. And, on a personal note, whoever your professor was in graduate school told you the same thing I used to tell my graduate students, but I added a bit more: There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers. Any question fairly asked in a legitimate quest for knowledge merits an honest and correct answer. Hopefully, you will find my answer meets these criteria.

Ron Kathren, CHP

Answer posted on 10 May 2007. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.