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The target organs for polonium in humans are the spleen and liver. [97] As the spleen (150 g) and the liver (1.3 to 3 kg) are much smaller than the rest of the body, if the polonium is concentrated in these vital organs, it is a greater threat to life than the dose which would be suffered (on average) by the whole body if it were spread evenly ...
Polonium poisoning can cause nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and lymphopenia. It can also damage hair follicles and white blood cells. [2] [74] Polonium-210 is only dangerous if ingested or inhaled because its alpha particle emissions cannot penetrate human skin. [65] Polonium-209 is also toxic, and can cause leukemia. [75]
The decay chain of uranium-238, known as the uranium series or radium series, of which polonium-210 is a member Schematic of the final steps of the s-process.The red path represents the sequence of neutron captures; blue and cyan arrows represent beta decay, and the green arrow represents the alpha decay of 210 Po.
The energy and the type of the ionizing radiation emitted by a radioactive substance are also important factors in determining its threat to humans. [5] The chemical properties of the radioactive element will determine how mobile the substance is and how likely it is to spread into the environment and contaminate humans. [6]
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Polonium-210 has a half-life of 138 days and decays to the stable daughter isotope of lead, 206 Pb. Therefore, the source is reduced to about one sixteenth of its original radioactivity about 18 months after production. By measuring the proportion of polonium and lead in a sample, one can establish the production date of polonium.
Metal toxicity or metal poisoning is the toxic effect of certain metals in certain forms and doses on life.Some metals are toxic when they form poisonous soluble compounds. . Certain metals have no biological role, i.e. are not essential minerals, or are toxic when in a certain for
Polonium is a radioactive, soft metal with a hardness similar to lead. [160] It has a simple cubic crystalline structure characterised (as determined by electron density calculations) by partially directional bonding, [ 161 ] and a BCN of 6.