The smoke detector nuclear proliferation problem

David Hahn, who is also known as the radioactive boy scout, in effect pointed out a clear path to nuclear proliferation. Hahn attempted to build a reactor with americium241 from smoke detectors, and thorium from Coleman lanterns. Ionizing smoke detectors contain minute amounts of americium241. Americium241 is fissionable, but unfortunately for David, who attempted to use it in his back yard reactor, fission can only be achieved by fast neutrons. That makes americium241 potential weapons material, but not good to burn in ordinary reactors. Hahn's approach does open the door for would be bad guys who want to build nuclear weapons on the sly. Just buy a few billion ionizing smoke detectors, extract the americium241, and voilà, you have the stuff to make nuclear weapons.

If you get tired of throwing away all of those smoke detectors - this is a real nuclear waste problem you know - you might try try opening your own smoke detector factory. That way you can get all the americium241 you want without the IAEA being any the wiser. Did anyone think to check if A.Q. Khan went into the smoke detector business? I'll bet not. Even as I write this nuclear weapons may be rolling off the assembly lines at the Osama bin Laden Smoke Detector factory. Think about it!