What is the most dangerous radioactive isotope?
Because it emits alpha particles, plutonium is most dangerous when inhaled. When plutonium particles are inhaled, they lodge in the lung tissue. The alpha particles can kill lung cells, which causes scarring of the lungs, leading to further lung disease and cancer.
What does polonium 204 do to your body?
The effects of polonium poisoning are effectively those of acute radiation poisoning . These occur within one day of exposure to a large dose of ionising radiation. The effects are all based on damage occurring to the body’s fast-growing cells: bone marrow – a drop in number of blood cells causing tiredness.
Is protactinium radioactive?
A silvery, radioactive metal. Protactinium is little used outside of research. Protactinium has no known biological role. It is toxic due to its radioactivity.
How did Marie Curie discover polonium?
Polonium was discovered by Marie Sklodowska Curie, a Polish chemist, in 1898. She obtained polonium from pitchblende, a material that contains uranium, after noticing that unrefined pitchblende was more radioactive than the uranium that was separated from it.
Which is more dangerous plutonium or polonium?
Plutonium is less radioactive than polonium, so it would take some tens of milligrams ingested to kill you.
Can polonium-204 be cured?
Is there a cure for Polonium-204? Technically, yes. The CDC says the lower the level of ARS, the better chance of recovery. A major concern is damage to the bone marrow.
Where can protactinium be found?
Protactinium is a highly toxic and radioactive rare earth metal that requires special handling. It is found in pitchblende and ores form Zaire and is one of the rarest and most expensive naturally occurring elements.
How much polonium is lethal?
If ingested, it is lethal in extremely small doses. A minuscule amount of the silver powder is sufficient to kill. British radiation experts say once polonium-210 enters the bloodstream, its deadly effects are nearly impossible to stop. How can it poison people?