33,000 BA passengers alerted over radiation

UK Telegraph ^ | 11:02am GMT 11/30/2006 | Duncan Gardham

[jmcenanly]

British Airways is trying to contact all 33,000 passengers who may have been exposed to radioactive traces that were found on two of its planes.

Thousands of BA passengers were caught in the radiation scare last night after traces of a substance, thought to be the same that killed the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, were found on the planes.

A spokesman for the airline said that, so far, 2,500 of the 33,000 passengers who are believed to have flown on 221 flights across Europe since the traces were found have called in to BA's dedicated helpline.

The Government grounded one plane on Tuesday and another yesterday. A third is in Moscow awaiting tests.

Police are focusing on flights from Moscow to Heathrow Airport on Oct 25 and 31 and in the other direction on Oct 28 and Nov 3. Since then, the planes, all Boeing 767s, have flown to Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Athens, Larnaka, Madrid, Vienna, Istanbul, Frankfurt and Stockholm.

BA has set up a helpline for affected passengers and those with symptoms of radiation poisoning, such as vomiting or bleeding gums, were advised to telephone NHS Direct. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the risk to the public was low.

[Dallas59]

BA has set up a helpline for affected passengers and those with symptoms of radiation poisoning, such as vomiting or bleeding gums, were advised to telephone NHS Direct. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the risk to the public was low.

Good Lord...

[Question_Assumptions]

First, I'm stunned that they don't have radiation detectors that picked this up before this. Second, I'm concerned that they are seeing radiation from something else -- the smuggling of nuclear material into the UK and maybe US via airlines.

[3niner]

First, I'm stunned that they don't have radiation detectors that picked this up before this.

There is always background radiation, furthermore planes, flying at 30,000 - 40,000 feet, experience much higher levels of background radiation than we see at sea level.

Polonium 210 (the isotope believed to have been used for the murder) is a prolific alpha emitter, but alpha radiation is stopped very quickly by other materials (even air), making it very difficult to detect at any distance. Polonium 210 also emits much lower levels of gamma rays and, in some circumstances, neutrons, but these can be difficult to distinguish from background radiation.

It is surprising that this material would have been transported in such a way that there was a back trail to be found. It's possible that something else is being detected.

[Question_Assumptions]

Yeah, I know that they said the Polonium was easily shielded, even by the body. Alpha emissions makes sense. So, yes, part of what I'm worried about is that they aren't just picking up radiation from the Polonium but other stuff that's been moved that's even nastier.

[Dog]

Sounds like they stored it in a leaky container.