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Are smoke alarms hazardous to the environment?

Public Comments

  1. Not at all.
  2. what? Why?
  3. Yes, they have radioactive elements and should be disposed of properly. They are dangerous to put in landfills. But not dangerous to you in your house. "The most readily obtainable and cheapest smoke alarms contain radioactive nuclear waste in the form of americium-241 which is a waste product from nuclear reactors. Americium-241 is radioactive, an alpha emitter with a half life of 432 years. This means that it will continue to be a hazard for several thousand years."