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Polonium-210 (210 Po, Po-210, historically radium F) is an isotope of polonium. It undergoes alpha decay to stable 206 Pb with a half-life of 138.376 days (about 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 months), the longest half-life of all naturally occurring polonium isotopes ( 210–218 Po). [ 1 ]
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.
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 ...
Residues from the oil and gas industry often contain radium and its daughters. The sulfate scale from an oil well can be very radium rich. The water inside an oil field is often very rich in strontium, barium and radium, while seawater is very rich in sulfate: so if water from an oil well is discharged into the sea or mixed with seawater, the radium is likely to be brought out of solution by ...
Enhanced concentrations of the radium 226 and 228 and the daughter products such as lead-210 may also occur in sludge that accumulates in oilfield pits, tanks and lagoons. Radon gas in the natural gas streams concentrate as NORM in gas processing activities. Radon decays to lead-210, then to bismuth-210, polonium-210 and stabilizes with lead ...
Polonium is dangerous as an alpha particle emitter. If ingested, polonium-210 is a million times as toxic as hydrogen cyanide by weight; it has been used as a murder weapon in the past, most famously to kill Alexander Litvinenko. [2] Polonium poisoning can cause nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and lymphopenia.
“That’s why it’s important to know what toxic plants are in your home or garden so you can protect your pet.” Some plants may cause mild tummy upset and vomiting when ingested.
Polonium-210 is a radioactive trace contaminant of tobacco, providing additional explanation for the link between smoking and bronchial cancer. [121] The radioactive particles build up over time in the lungs and a UCLA study has estimated that the radiation from 25 years of smoking would cause over 120 deaths per thousand smokers. [122]