What is Polonium?
“Polonium is a chemical element that has the symbol Po and atomic number 84. A rare and highly radioactive metalloid, polonium is chemically similar to tellurium and bismuth, and it occurs in uranium ores. Polonium has been studied for possible use in heating spacecraft. It is unstable; all isotopes of polonium are radioactive.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/84.
Polonium is an extremely unstable radioactive chemical element which forms as part of the decay process of radium, another radioactive element. Because polonium is a stage in radium’s decay process, it is sometimes called radium F. This element appears in trace amounts in nature, typically in uranium ores, and most of its uses are in theoretical physics. It does have some industrial uses, but because of its radioactivity, consumers are unlikely to encounter it. The instability of this element makes it difficult for scientists to identify its chemical properties. It takes on a solid shape in pure form, and appears to have a crystalline physical structure. It is typically classified as a metalloid, and as one might imagine, it is highly toxic due to its radioactivity. Given the rarity of polonium, you are unlikely to encounter it; if you see enough to be able to be able to examine its physical properties, you will be dead from radiation exposure. On the periodic table of elements, you ca
Polonium is a lead-colored radioactive element found in uranium. The particular type, or isotope, that killed Alexander Litvinenko is polonium-210, which is mainly produced inside nuclear reactors. About 100 grams is made yearly in Russia. In the USA, it’s only imported by a New York-based company, which brings in less than a gram a year, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says. Minute amounts are used in the production of anti-static brushes, rolling paper, plastic sheets and fiber. Q: How did polonium-210 kill Alexander Litvinenko? A: It emits alpha radiation, which kills living tissues up close, but it is easily blocked by the skin and even a few inches of air. If it enters the bloodstream, high doses kill within hours or weeks. Most likely, Litvinenko ate or drank enough polonium — around a millionth of a gram — to trigger severe radiation poisoning. Victims suffer food poisoning symptoms, followed by the failure of blood cells and the immune system. A few salt crystals contain
