| Record Information |
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| Version | 1.0 |
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| Creation Date | 2009-03-06 18:58:13 UTC |
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| Update Date | 2016-11-09 01:08:10 UTC |
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| Accession Number | CHEM000161 |
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| Identification |
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| Common Name | Americium |
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| Class | Small Molecule |
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| Description | Americium is a synthetic element that has the symbol Am and atomic number 95. It is a radioactive metallic element of the actinide series. Eighteen radioisotopes of americium, with mass number from 231 to 249, have been characterized. The most stable isotopes are Am-243 (half-life of 7370 years) and Am-241 (half-life of 432.2 years). The most used isotope is Am-241 because it is easiest to produce. Americium is widely used in commercial ionization-chamber smoke detectors as well as in neutron sources and industrial gauges. Americium emits alpha and gamma radiation, which represents a serious health hazard. (2) |
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| Contaminant Sources | |
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| Contaminant Type | - Americium Compound
- Industrial/Workplace Toxin
- Inorganic Compound
- Metal
- Pollutant
- Radioactive
- Synthetic Compound
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| Chemical Structure | |
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| Synonyms | | Value | Source |
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| 95Am | ChEBI | | Am | ChEBI | | Americio | ChEBI | | Amerizium | ChEBI |
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| Chemical Formula | Am |
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| Average Molecular Mass | 243.000 g/mol |
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| Monoisotopic Mass | 243.000 g/mol |
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| CAS Registry Number | 7440-35-9 |
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| IUPAC Name | americium |
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| Traditional Name | americium |
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| SMILES | [Am] |
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| InChI Identifier | InChI=1S/Am |
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| InChI Key | LXQXZNRPTYVCNG-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
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| Chemical Taxonomy |
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| Description | belongs to the class of inorganic compounds known as homogeneous actinide compounds. These are inorganic compounds containing only metal atoms,with the largest atom being a transition metal atom. |
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| Kingdom | Inorganic compounds |
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| Super Class | Homogeneous metal compounds |
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| Class | Homogeneous actinide compounds |
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| Sub Class | Not Available |
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| Direct Parent | Homogeneous actinide compounds |
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| Alternative Parents | Not Available |
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| Substituents | |
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| Molecular Framework | Not Available |
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| External Descriptors | |
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| Biological Properties |
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| Status | Detected and Not Quantified |
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| Origin | Exogenous |
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| Cellular Locations | |
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| Biofluid Locations | Not Available |
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| Tissue Locations | Not Available |
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| Pathways | Not Available |
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| Applications | Not Available |
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| Biological Roles | Not Available |
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| Chemical Roles | Not Available |
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| Physical Properties |
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| State | Solid |
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| Appearance | Americium is a silvery-white solid metal, which tarnishes in dry air at room temperature. (2) |
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| Experimental Properties | | Property | Value |
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| Melting Point | 1449°K (1176°C, 2149°F ) | | Boiling Point | 2880°K (2607 °C, 4725 °F) | | Solubility | Not Available |
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| Predicted Properties | |
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| Spectra |
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| Spectra | | Spectrum Type | Description | Splash Key | View |
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| Predicted LC-MS/MS | Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 10V, Positive | splash10-0006-0090000000-f2f8bc4e7c7af9384c95 | Spectrum | | Predicted LC-MS/MS | Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 20V, Positive | splash10-0006-0090000000-f2f8bc4e7c7af9384c95 | Spectrum | | Predicted LC-MS/MS | Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 40V, Positive | splash10-0006-0090000000-f2f8bc4e7c7af9384c95 | Spectrum | | Predicted LC-MS/MS | Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 10V, Negative | splash10-0006-0090000000-db920c4a8fe46e25a908 | Spectrum | | Predicted LC-MS/MS | Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 20V, Negative | splash10-0006-0090000000-db920c4a8fe46e25a908 | Spectrum | | Predicted LC-MS/MS | Predicted LC-MS/MS Spectrum - 40V, Negative | splash10-0006-0090000000-db920c4a8fe46e25a908 | Spectrum |
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| Toxicity Profile |
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| Route of Exposure | Oral (4) ; Inhalation (4) |
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| Mechanism of Toxicity | Americium toxicity results primarily from the damage done by the alpha particle emitted during radioactive decay. This alpha particle has very limited penetration in tissue, and hence, the cellular damage occurs only in the immediate vicinity of the sequestered americium. The ionizing radiation produced by americium causes cellular damage that includes DNA breakage, accurate or inaccurate repair, apoptosis, gene mutations, chromosomal change, and genetic instability. This leads to loss of normal cell and tissue homeostasis, and development of malignancy. Ionizing radiation that does not directly damage DNA can produce reactive oxygen intermediates that directly affect the stability of p53, an important enzyme in cell-cycle regulation, and produce oxidative damage to individual bases in DNA and point mutations by mispairing during DNA replication. (3) |
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| Metabolism | Americium can be absorbed following ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure. In the body it distributes primarily to the liver, as well as to the bone and skeletal muscle. The metabolism of americium involves binding interactions with proteins and probably complex formation with various inorganic anions, such as carbonate and phosphate, and carboxylic acids, such as citrate and lactate. Americium is excreted in faeces and urine. (4) |
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| Toxicity Values | Not Available |
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| Lethal Dose | Not Available |
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| Carcinogenicity (IARC Classification) | Internalized radionuclides that emit α-particles are carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) (6). Americium-243 undergoes alpha decay. |
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| Uses/Sources | Americium is widely used in commercial ionization-chamber smoke detectors as well as in neutron sources and industrial gauges. (2) |
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| Minimum Risk Level | Acute Radiation: 4 mSv (1)
Chronic Radiation: 1 mSv/yr (1) |
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| Health Effects | Americium's radioactivity can cause cancer, especially of the bone, where it is known to accumulate. Exposure to large amount of americium may also damage the lungs, liver, and thyroid. (4) |
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| Symptoms | Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation results in acute radiation syndrome, which can cause skin burns, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation, low blood pressure, headache, fatigue, weakness, fever, birth defects, illness, infection, and death. (3, 5) |
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| Treatment | Treatment reversing the effects of irradiation is currently not possible. Anaesthetics and antiemetics are administered to counter the symptoms of exposure, as well as antibiotics for countering secondary infections due to the resulting immune system deficiency. (5) |
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| Concentrations |
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| Not Available |
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| External Links |
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| DrugBank ID | Not Available |
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| HMDB ID | Not Available |
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| FooDB ID | Not Available |
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| Phenol Explorer ID | Not Available |
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| KNApSAcK ID | Not Available |
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| BiGG ID | Not Available |
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| BioCyc ID | Not Available |
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| METLIN ID | Not Available |
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| PDB ID | Not Available |
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| Wikipedia Link | Americium |
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| Chemspider ID | Not Available |
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| ChEBI ID | 33389 |
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| PubChem Compound ID | 23966 |
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| Kegg Compound ID | Not Available |
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| YMDB ID | Not Available |
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| ECMDB ID | Not Available |
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| References |
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| Synthesis Reference | Not Available |
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| MSDS | Not Available |
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| General References | Not Available |
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