Is the level of risk to the general public still low, despite the seven workers in the Pine Bar who were confirmed as having levels of polonium-210?
Our assessment of the risk to the general public remains unchanged – these seven people were identified for testing as they came into closer proximity with Mr.Litvinenko so are not in the same low risk category as other members of the general public. It is important to remember that Po-210 only represents a radiation hazard if it is taken into the body – by breathing it in, by taking it into the mouth, or if it gets into a wound. It is not a radiological hazard as long as it remains outside the body. Most traces of it can be eliminated through handwashing, or washing machine and dishwasher cycles for clothes, plates etc.
