Message boards : Science : Detector locations to avoid, to prevent a biased reading?
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For the detector placement, is there a list here already of items and locations within one's dwelling / building to avoid? | |
ID: 1533 | Rating: 0 | rate: / Reply Quote | |
Florescent lights and smoke detectors (from the roof on the floor below if you place it on your floor) may contain radioactive matter and can increase count rates. Basement will get a lower count than top floor. | |
ID: 1848 | Rating: 0 | rate: / Reply Quote | |
Florescent lights: Are they react with the detector too, when they are off? | |
ID: 1852 | Rating: 0 | rate: / Reply Quote | |
the smoke detectors contain very small amount of Americium-241 so its activity is around 37 000 Bq, according to this source: Am-241 emits low energy gamma rays of 60 keV. The Am-241 gamma dose constant of 3.14 mSv/hr at a distance of one metre from a certain amount - 37 GBq - of Am-241. This gives an annual dose at one metre of 27 µSv/yr for an average household smoke detector – around 100 times lower than the dose from natural background radiation. However, we have here a few those elements from smoke detectors in total activity about 75 000 Bq so I did a practical test with our portable detector: https://www.saic.com/products/security/pdf/gr-135_30Jun10.pdf In direct contact I got values about 0.5 microSv/h but in 1 meter distance there was nothing - I measured normal background. So I would say if the smoke detector is on the ceiling then you do not have to worry about it. :-) | |
ID: 1869 | Rating: 0 | rate: / Reply Quote | |
For smoke detectors: Not all have a radioactive source, mine don't have it. It's just in cheap, old stuff, good new stuff is optical. They are problematic, as they have to be disposed as radioactive waste, and must not enter the ordinary waste bin, at least here in Europe. | |
ID: 1972 | Rating: 0 | rate: / Reply Quote | |
Thanks for the replies! | |
ID: 2002 | Rating: 0 | rate: / Reply Quote | |
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Detector locations to avoid, to prevent a biased reading?