[ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy

[North, David]

If you do the calculation, a standard dose for myocardial imaging is 3 mCi
of thallium-201. The approximate mass of that activity is 14 nanograms.
There may not have been in existence on earth one gram of Tl-201 yet.

David L. North, Sc.M., DABR
Associate Physicist
Medical Physics
Main Bldg. Rm 317
Rhode Island Hospital
593 Eddy St.
Providence, RI 02903
(401)444-5961
fax: (401)444-4446
dnorth at lifespan.org



> ----------
> From: 	radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl on behalf of Franz Schönhofer
> Sent: 	Tuesday, November 21, 2006 9:14
> To: 	'Dawson, Fred Mr'; srp-uk at yahoogroups.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Subject: 	AW: [ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy
> 
> 
> Another "real" expert!!!
> 
> The amounts of radioactive Thallium used in hospitals for cardiological
> tests (I had such a test myself a few years ago) are so extremely low in
> terms of mass of Tl, that this "expert" is really ridiculous. If the
> activities were extremely high to cause damage through radiation the
> symptoms would be totally different - as I think everybody knows them. Is
> this profesor John Henry a Greenpeace expert?
> 
> The case seems to be extremely simple: Thallium is used as a poison to
> kill
> rats and is popularily known as "rat poison". Its use to poison and kill
> people is probably as old as the element was known and was in earlier
> times
> rather "popular" besides the use of arsenik. It really works as many cases
> have shown very well, but can be easily detected. 
> 
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Franz 
> 
> 
> Franz Schoenhofer
> PhD, MR iR
> Habicherg. 31/7
> A-1160 Vienna
> AUSTRIA
> phone -43-0699-1168-1319
> 
> 
> > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> > Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im
> > Auftrag von Dawson, Fred Mr
> > Gesendet: Dienstag, 21. November 2006 14:01
> > An: srp-uk at yahoogroups.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
> > Betreff: [ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy
> > 
> > BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy
> > 
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6167728.stm
> > 
> > The Russian dissident ill in a London hospital may have been poisoned
> > with a radioactive substance, an expert toxicologist has said.
> > 
> > Professor John Henry said Alexander Litvinenko, 41, had symptoms
> > consistent with thallium poisoning but other symptoms linked to other
> > substances. "It's not 100% thallium," Dr Henry said outside University
> > College Hospital. He said the poison may have been radioactive thallium,
> > which would now be difficult to trace.   Radioactive thallium degrades
> > very rapidly so that by now we've missed the chance.  He said: "It may
> > be too late. If it's a radioactive poison with a short half-life it may
> > have gone.
> > 
> > Radioactive thallium is used in hospitals but Dr Henry said it was not
> > used in massive doses consistent with Mr Litvinenko's condition.
> > "Poisons can be taken by mouth, they can be injected, they can be
> > inhaled," he said. "In this case his symptoms are gastro-intestinal so
> > the probability is that he has swallowed something that is poisoned.
> > "Radioactive thallium adds a new dimension to this case. It means that
> > his bone marrow is at very high risk and we have to see how his cells
> > recover. It is very difficult to treat because you have to rely on the
> > body's natural resilience."
> > 
> > 
> > Fred Dawson
> > Fwp_dawson at hotmail.com
> > 
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