Americium

Americium: a radioactive element that can be deposited in bones for a long time

Americium is a radioactive element that was discovered in 1944 by American scientists Glen T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James and Albert Ghiors. The element has atomic number 95 and is located between plutonium and curium on the periodic table.

Americium has several isotopes with mass numbers ranging from 237 to 246 and half-lives ranging from 25 minutes to 8800 years. The most stable isotope, americium-243, has a half-life of about 7370 years.

Americium is a radioactive element that can harm human health if found in the environment in large quantities. The element can enter the body through the respiratory tract, digestion or skin. Long-term exposure to americium in the human body can cause bone cancer.

However, scientific research shows that americium has potential medical uses. For example, americium can be used to treat cancer because it can be targeted to a specific area of ​​tissue where it will emit radiation and kill cancer cells.

In addition, americium can be used to produce nuclear batteries and power supplies for spacecraft, as it has high energy density and stability.

One of the most dangerous characteristics of americium is its ability to be deposited in bones for a long time. Therefore, when working with americium, it is necessary to take all precautions and protection measures to prevent its release into the environment and possible harm to human health.

Thus, americium is a radioactive element with diverse properties that can be useful in medicine and industry, but requires special care when working with it.



Americium is a radioactive element that has atomic number 95 and isotopes having mass numbers from 237 to 246. It can be deposited in the body for a long time and can cause serious health problems with long-term exposure.

Americium was discovered in 1920 and was named after the American physicist Arthur Lionard. In nature, it occurs in the form of several isotopes, each of which has its own half-life. The longest-lived isotope of americium is 241Am, which has a half-life of about 7.1 billion years.

When ingested, americium can accumulate in bones and other tissues. This can lead to serious health problems such as radiation poisoning, cancer and other diseases.

To protect against exposure to americium, it is necessary to observe safety precautions when working with radioactive materials. It is also important to monitor the level of radiation in the environment and take steps to reduce the risk of exposure.