Polonium-210

Polonium-210

Radioactive material

Atomic number: 84

Chelation agents such as British Anti-Lewisite (dimercaprol) can be used to decontaminate humans. Treatment reversing the effects of irradiation is currently not possible. Anaesthetics and antiemetics are administered to counter the symptoms of exposure, as well as antibiotics for countering secondary infections due to the resulting immune system deficiency. (L1852, L1842)

The alpha radiation polonium emits does not penetrate the skin but can irradiate internal organs when polonium is inhaled or ingested. The ionizing radiation produced by plutonium causes cellular damage that includes DNA breakage, accurate or inaccurate repair, apoptosis, gene mutations, chromosomal change, and genetic instability. This leads to loss of normal cell and tissue homeostasis, and development of malignancy. Ionizing radiation that does not directly damage DNA can produce reactive oxygen intermediates that directly affect the stability of p53, an important enzyme in cell-cycle regulation, and produce oxidative damage to individual bases in DNA and point mutations by mispairing during DNA replication. (L1837, L1842)

Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation results in acute radiation syndrome, which can cause skin burns, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation, low blood pressure, headache, fatigue, weakness, fever, birth defects, illness, infection, and death. (L1837, L1852)

When it is mixed or alloyed with beryllium, polonium can be a neutron source and has been used in this capacity as a neutron trigger or initiator for nuclear weapons. Polonium has also been studied for possible use in heating spacecraft. (L1842)