Polonium 210

What is polonium 210?

Polonium-210 (Po-210) is a radioactive material. It occurs naturally and is present in the environment and in people at very low concentrations. It can also be made by irradiation of other materials. Polonium-210 has a half-life of 138 days. It undergoes decay by emitting alpha particles, accompanied by very low intensity gamma rays.

Alpha particles do not travel very far - no more than a few centimetres in air. They are stopped by a sheet of paper or by the dead layer of outer skin on our bodies.

Polonium-210 is used industrially, for example in anti-static devices in factories.

Because polonium-210 is a naturally occurring radionuclide, we all have a very small amount in our bodies. This contributes to the natural radiation dose we all get every year.

• FAQs about public health issues related to the Polonium-210 incident
• Advice to relatives, friends, co-workers and those who have been in close contact with people who have received positive test results
• Monitoring for Polonium-210 (PDF, 26 KB)
  
   
• Measurement of Polonium-210 in urine (PDF, 15 KB)
  
   
• Assessment of doses from measurements of polonium-210 in urine (PDF, 105 KB)