No need for alarm, says Reid as three are tested for radiation (Polonium 210)

Daily Mail ^ | 27 Nov 2006 | Unattributed

[Ben Mugged]

Home Secretary John Reid said there was no need for public alarm over the discovery of radiation at several locations associated with the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

In an emergency Commons statement, Mr Reid said the nature of this radiation was such "that it does not travel over long distances - a few centimetres at most.

"There is no need for public alarm over the fact that radiation may have been found, since there is such a short distance encompassed in its effect."

The statement came as it emerged that three people have been sent for urgent examination amid fears that they have been exposed to the same radioactive material that killed the Russian spy.

Sky Television News also reported that traces of a radioactive substance have been found at two new locations in London, although these have yet to be confirmed.

The three sent for tests are understood to have symptoms that concern experts, and they will undergo tests at a secret London clinic.

Eight more people are being questioned about their health and may also be sent for medical investigations. Urine tests are being carried out on some of the patients after traces of polonium 210 was found in samples taken from Litvinenko who died on Thursday.

[Ben Mugged]

More exposure to this toxic material.

[fishtank]

"In an emergency Commons statement, Mr Reid said the nature of this radiation was such "that it does not travel over long distances - a few centimetres at most."

Polonium: dangerous to swallow or breathe.

[posterchild]

A rare toxic material. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium only about 100 grams are made each year.

[KarlInOhio]

A rare toxic material. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium only about 100 grams are made each year.

But with a lethal dose of only 0.12 micrograms, that 100 grams is enough to kill over 800 million people if divided equally.

[End Times Sentinel]

I didn't bother to read the article, but I think Reid's way off base here.  The problem isn't radiation poisoning, it's bad personel on Defense.

Trotter and Dawkins are both a step slow at this point, Dahani Jones never could play, McCoy is too small and there's absolutely no pass rush ever since Kearse went down.

All this talk about Polonium is just a smoke screen.

Owl_Eagle

If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.

[posterchild]

True, but its still alot of work. This was no ordinary poisoning nor no ordinary poisoner.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Nevermind that the British authorities are scrambling to figure out how any of this stuff got into the country (and of course have no idea how much got in). No need for alarm, eh?

[Sam's Army]

I thought Polonium 210 was an audible called by the Offense anyway when the QB senses zone coverage with a 5 man blitz.

And at least Reid has headphones that work, Gruden seems to bust his every other game or so.

[sissyjane]

There are at least three more people being tested for exposure. Very frightening.

[Liberty Valance]

Perhaps a Visit to 221b Baker Street is in order...

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

It's cool that Polonium is becoming a household word.
It has been an underappreciated element.

[agere_contra]

I was thinking that it would be cool to be killed by a few milligrams of Promethium. Best. Element. Name. Ever.

Conversely it would seriously suck to be the only person ever to die of Francium poisoning. There's only about 400 grams of that stuff in the entire earth's crust - and that's 400 grams too much IMO.

[keats5]

I don't know if you're nuts, but I may be. Did anyone else just hear mention of this being a nuclear poison, on Fox within the last hour? I don't know that much about it, but I think a nuclear poison sounds worse than a radioactive poison. Does anyone here know if there's a difference?

[AmusedBystander]

Did anyone else just hear mention of this being a nuclear poison, on Fox within the last hour? I don't know that much about it, but I think a nuclear poison sounds worse than a radioactive poison.

You say puh-tey-toh, I say puh-tey-tuh.

[Phosgood]

"Am I nuts or does this have implications for a dirty bomb of some sort......."

Although the public is being advised to "move on, nothing to see here" this family of ALPA radiation are almost impossible to detect in a shipping container or package.

The radiation wavelenghts are very short but very lethal internally from ingesting from dust on the fingers to inhaling in an air supply (like on a plane).

Effects are slow acting and would be difficult to trace after bone marrow stops producing resistance to common diseases or later exposure to exotic biological exposures.

[Ben Mugged]

A naturally radioactive metallic element, occurring in minute quantities as a product of radium disintegration and produced by bombarding bismuth or lead with neutrons. It has 27 isotopes ranging in mass number from 192 to 218, of which Po 210, with a half-life of 138.39 days, is the most readily available. Atomic number 84; melting point 254°C; boiling point 962°C; specific gravity 9.32; valence 2, 4.

It is prepared by bombarding bismuth with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. It is a highly radioactive material. A milligram of polonium-210 emits as much alpha radiation as about 5 grams of radium, and enough gamma radiation to cause a blue glow in the air around it. It can be used as a heat source, since most of the energy of the alpha radiation is absorbed as heat within the polonium and its container. Polonium has found use in small portable radiation sources and in the control of static electricity. However, it is an extremely toxic substance and must be handled with great care.

[prairiebreeze]

Don't worry, be happy.

[Ben Mugged]

The maximum allowable body burden for ingested polonium is only 1100 becquerels (0.03 microcurie), which is equivalent to a particle weighing only 6.8 × 10-12 gram. Weight for weight polonium is approximately 2.5 × 1011 times as toxic as hydrocyanic acid. The maximum permissible concentration for airborne soluble polonium compounds is about 7,500 Bq/m³ (2 × 10-11 µCi/cm³).