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Polonium-210 (210 Po, Po-210, historically radium F) is an isotope of polonium. ... As a result, 210 Po is most dangerous when inhaled from cigarette smoke. [27]
As production of polonium-210 was discontinued in most countries in late 2000s, all of the world's legal polonium-210 (210 Po) production occurs in Russia in RBMK reactors. [ 29 ] [ 101 ] [ 102 ] A Moscow Times article claimed Russia produces about 85 grams (450,000 Ci) annually, [ 103 ] but this was disputed by Russian nuclear physicist Radiy ...
Polonium-210 in tobacco contributes to many of the cases of lung cancer worldwide. Most of this polonium is derived from lead-210 deposited on tobacco leaves from the atmosphere; the lead-210 is a product of radon-222 gas, much of which appears to originate from the decay of radium-226 from fertilizers applied to the tobacco soils.
The powerful alpha emitter polonium-210 (a milligram of 210 Po emits as many alpha particles per second as 4.215 grams of 226 Ra) is suspected of playing a role in lung cancer and bladder cancer related to tobacco smoking. [16] 210 Po was used to kill Russian dissident and ex-FSB officer Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006. [17]
The release of the highly dangerous radioactive isotope polonium-210, which had been covered up at the time, was not factored into government reports until 1983, when it was estimated that the fallout had caused 33 cancer fatalities in the long-term. [71] These deaths were attributed not only to thyroid cancer, but also to lung cancer. [72]
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) consist of materials, usually industrial wastes or by-products enriched with radioactive elements found in the environment, such as uranium, thorium and potassium-40 (a long-lived beta emitter that is part of natural potassium on earth) and any of the products of the ...
This raises worries of terrorists using powdered alpha emitting material, that if ingested can pose a serious health risk, [9] as in the case of Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned by tea with polonium-210. "Smoky bombs" based on alpha emitters might be just as dangerous as beta or gamma emitting dirty bombs. [10]
There are 42 isotopes of polonium (84 Po). They range in size from 186 to 227 nucleons. They are all radioactive. 210 Po with a half-life of 138.376 days has the longest half-life of any naturally-occurring isotope of polonium and is the most common isotope of polonium. It is also the most easily synthesized polonium isotope.