What is polonium-210?
It is a naturally occurring radioactive material that emits highly hazardous alpha (positively charged) particles. It was first discovered by Marie Curie at the end of the 19th century. There are very small amounts of polonium-210 in the soil and in the atmosphere, and everyone has a small amount of it in their body. But at high doses, it damages tissues and organs. However the substance, historically called radium F, is very hard for doctors to identify. Philip Walker, professor of physics, University of Surrey said: “This seems to have been a substance carefully chosen for its ability to be hard to detect in a person who has ingested it.” What is the risk to other people from the dose Mr Litvinenko received? It cannot pass through the skin, and must be ingested or inhaled into the body to cause damage. And because the radiation has a very short range, it only harms nearby tissue. However, there is a theoretical risk that anyone who came into contact with the urine, faeces, and possib
