Chemical element with atomic number 95, symbol Am, located in group 3 of the periodic table, period 7 and belonging to the actinide family, its name is given by America, and it is lustrous with a silver and white color, very malleable and fissile, it was not discovered but invented, its creation being an extraordinary feat, in the year 1944 by scientists Glenn Seaborg, Ralph Jame, León Morgan and Albert Ghiorso, in a metallurgical laboratory of nuclear warfare.
The main characteristic of all its isotopes is that they are really radioactive, silver in color in white tones, but lose their brightness if exposed to air and the environment itself, dealing with it implies a high risk of handling and safety, it is used to smoke detectors, finding a low amount of this element, in the fluorescence of X-rays, as in various radiography and medicine materials; It also has a use in industry as a glass meter; however it is very expensive to be produced in sufficient and large quantities.
During nuclear production, humans can be exposed to this element, especially their full-time workers, or those who mostly live near nuclear power plants, can cause long and short-term side effects, being cancer of bone the most common to be exposed and genetic malformations; in the environment it is very destructive and harmful, being able to kill some of the plant species when in contact with it.
