[ RadSafe ] Polonium and consumer uses

[Richard L. Hess]

With all this talk of polonium, I'm wondering why I'm still alive! I 
think StaticMaster film-cleaning brushes included polonium cartridges 
to ionize the air around the negatives you were trying to clean. I 
recall the requirement to send them back to their maker for disposal. 
My mentor who had a darkroom in his house used these in the 1960s.

Am I mis-remembering? What other uses has polonium been put to?

Of course, any of these brushes would be long dormant given the short 
half-life.

This was a horrible use of "science" but I am frustrated that the 
press reports don't have any numbers in them. For example, what level 
of radioactivity was found on the plane? How many CPM of alphas?

Gives new respect for alpha particles and their destructiveness.

Regards,

Richard

Richard L. Hess                   richard at richardhess.com
Aurora, Ontario, Canada       http://www.richardhess.com/
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm