Another question about polonium poisoning...?

Question

OK, we are told that polonium poisoning can only happen if we eat it or breathe it. Suppose we do receive a minute dosage. Does this mean that if we have no symptoms and no problem for a reasonable amount of time we are fine, or can it cause long term problems to health, like cancer, etc? What about pregnant women? I mean OK, it is obviously unlikely that we have all been poisoned on the BA planes and that we will die like Litvinenko, but what about minor-minor exposure, can't that do any harm in the long run? Is it you are either poisoned or you are not and have escaped it, or can it affect you secretely, with no symprtoms?

Answer 1

Polonium has two different mechanisms of toxicity: First, it is a heavy metal poison, with an LD50 of about 9 nanograms per kilogram of body weight by ingestion. It is even more toxic by inhalation. Second, it is an alpha/gamma emitting radionuclide, so even if you get less than a lethal dose to have acute heavy metal toxicity, you are still exposing the soft tissues of your internal organs to alpha emissions, which can cause cancers in the long term. See the listed wikipedia article.

Oh, and avian is correct -- tobacco absorbs polonium from the soil at a higher rate than other plants, so a smoker is inhaling a significant amount of radioactivity with every puff. This is no secret -- it has been known for years, and has been published in many medical and general population journals and magazines repeatedly. Goodness knows why smokers keep on puffing away, with this knowledge in public domain.

The average allowable exposure to radiation for the general public is about 360 millirems (mrem). The maximum annual exposure dose for radiation workers is about 5000 mrem. Mild radiation sickness starts with an acute (whole body dose in a short time span) exposure to about 200,000 mrem, and an acute lethal radiation dose is about 450,000 mrem

A typical chest X-ray exposes you to about 10-30 mrem. Flying cross-country or in a trans-ocean airline flight exposes you to about 0.5 mrem per hour (cosmic radiation).

Smoking 1½ packs a day exposes the smoker to about 16000 mrem per year. That's almost 45 times the allowable exposure!

And smokers wonder why tobacco is killing them . . . sheesh.

Answer 2

Here's a little bit of information which relates to your question; (I hope you are not a smoker!).

Because of the interest surrounding the Litvinenko murder, many countries are focusing media attention on the case, not least the American press. In today's New York TImes is an article written by a professor from Stanford University in which he discusses Polonium 210*. To my astonishment he maintains that a person who smokes (quote) 'a pack and a half a day', ingests an amount of Polonium 210 equivalent to 300 chest X-rays per year. No wonder the tobacco is getting worried about the publicity given to this case! Apparently, they've known about Polonium 210 in cigarettes since the 1950s.

Answer 3

One small does of radiation once in your life will not kill you. It will not give you cancer in the future. It will not harm your baby if your are pregnant. In fact I am willing to bet that even if you were on one of the planes you got a higher does of radiation from flying than you did from any polonium of the plane.

Radiation is everywhere. It comes from the sun, it comes from the ground. Bananas contain a small amount of radioactive potassium. You your self are slightly radioactive. Our bodies have evolved to survive these small doses and there is little to worry about. It is only if you receive a huge does or are exposed to an elevated does for long periods of time (months) that you have to start worrying about the risks.

If you are still worried you can go talk to a doctor and have a blood test to see if you ingested any polonium.

Answer 4

Hi.

Chances arent you arent even exposed to minute doses.

Those damn russians had several milligrams of the stuff dumped directly onto his food.

Stop worrying about really really really obscure things that will never happen to you, or anyone you know. There's a reason why its making global news.

Rockso