Ionization Smoke Detectors in Slovenia - Current Status and Future Challenges

Ionization smoke detectors use an ionization chamber and a radionuclide such as americium-241 to detect smoke. In Slovenia, installation of ionization smoke detectors started at the beginning of the 1970's. Due to good technical performance, ionization smoke detectors were widely used and can be found in industrial, service and even in general public buildings like hospitals or schools. Significant numbers of ionization smoke detectors are still in use, however during the last 10 years they are increasingly being replaced by new technologies. In practice, major reconstructions and upgrades of the existing fire alarm systems usually occur during the renovation of buildings and in that process old ionization smoke detectors are also being removed. According to the Slovenian legislation removed detectors are collected and transmitted to the ARAO - organization responsible for the public service of institutional radioactive waste management. Due to the large number of ionization smoke detectors, it is becoming a routine practice in their treatment that the device is disassembled and the associated radioactive source is recovered and conditioned for storage. The rest of non-radioactive materials (plastic, metal and electronic components) are treated and prepared for recycling. After such conditioning the radioactive part of smoke detectors is in more appropriate form for storage and requires significantly less space in the storage facility. This paper presents current status and lessons learned related with the conditioning of ionization smoke detectors that were collected in recent years through the public service in field of institutional radioactive waste management in Slovenia. Also, future challenges and positive effects of performed actions related with the conditioning of ionization smoke detectors in Slovenia are discussed.