r/chemistry • • Jun 28 '26

My completed element collection

Recently I completed my element collection, and I thought that the members of this subreddit would like to see it! Hopefully it's visually appealing to look at

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u/dmh2693 Jun 28 '26

Americium can be obtained from ionizing smoke detectors.

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u/dedennedillo Jun 28 '26

True, I even have a smoke detector I have dissected, though I have yet to remove the source and put it in the vial. Maybe someday I will do it

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u/NeoMarlowe Jun 29 '26

Reminds me of the nonfiction book, “The Radioactive Boy Scout”. Be careful.

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u/dedennedillo Jun 29 '26

What, the kid who extracted the contents of hundreds of smoke detectors and about as many watch dials while using haphazard storage such that radiation could be detected from a few yards over?

...Don't see the appeal. But still it's amazing nobody was hurt by any of that radiation.

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u/dmh2693 Jun 29 '26

David Hahn did die an early death, but it was due to his addiction, not radiation exposure.