241Pu, decay

Americium is released into surface water primarily from plutonium production reactors, nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, or in nuclear accidents. It may also be released from radioactive waste storage facilities. Since 241Pu decays into 241 Am,241 Am is also released as a result of 241Pu releases. Water sampling data were used to estimate effluent releases from the SRS from the plant s start up in... 

All reactor-produced plutonium contains a mixture of several plutonium isotopes. The continuous decay of 241pu (14.8 year half-life) is the source of 241/. jhis isotope decays by alpha emission with the simultaneous emission of 60 kilovolt gamma rays in 80% abundance. In order to minimize personnel exposure, this element is removed from the metal prior to fabrication. 

Americium isotopes are transformed by radioactive decay. However, the half-lives of the principal americium isotopes, 241Am and 243Am, are very long, 432 and 7,370 years, respectively, and there is only a small amount of transformation over a human lifetime. 241Am is formed by the decay of 241Pu (half-life 14.4 years) and this can lead to a significant transformation of that isotope to 241 Am in humans, especially for 241Pu that is fixed in the bone. 

Light-silver-colored element generated from a plutonium isotope (241Pu) by beta decay. Never detected in nature. Chemically similar to Europium. A few tons have been produced throughout the world through regeneration of fuel rods. Americium is a good source of alpha rays. Hence it is suitable to measure thicknesses, as a detector in smoke alarms, and for the activation analysis of the tiniest amounts of substances. 

Americium was obtained by allowing plutonium containing 241pu to decay. This isotope beta decays to 241/ m. The Am was separated from the Pu by ion exchange or solvent extraction procedures. 

---