[ RadSafe ] Po-210 in the news

[George Stanford]

Jaro et al:

      A contamination of "54 mBq" (total? per gram?
per kg? per sq cm?) is one decay every 3.24 minutes.
Sounds like a tricky measurement (but is it?).

      Anyway, extrapolating that back 21 half-lives gives
1.1 x 10^5 Bq (per unit something-or-other) = 3 micro-Ci
(I think).  According to Wikipedia, the mean lethal dose
is 238 micro-Ci if ingested -- which sounds more-or-less
consistent with a current few-mBq on "belongings."

      Major problem: Arafat apparently did not have the
symptoms of radiation poisoning.

      --  George

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At 08:42 PM 7/6/2012, Jaro Franta wrote:
Steven,

Here's an article that reports a claim that the Po-210 was planted.....
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=276447

"Swiss scientists reported finding polonium levels of 54 millibecquerels
(mBq) and 180 millibecquerels on his belonging, considered to be high
levels."
"Because of the half-life of the substance, the conclusion is that the
polonium is much more fresh,"


....is Dr. Ely Karmon or an associate on Radsafe ?

Thnx

  Jaro
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Steven Dapra
Sent: July-06-12 9:24 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Po-210 in the news

July 6

          I did the exercise.  It's 21 half-lives.  After that many
half-lives wouldn't a radionuclide be somewhat difficult to detect?  By my
reckoning, that's 0.477 x 10 -6 parts remaining.

Steven Dapra



At 09:50 AM 7/6/2012, you wrote:
 >The fraction of any polonium-210 (138-day half-life) left on clothing
 >or other personal belongings from that allegedly given to Yasser
 >Arafat, who died eight years ago, is left as an exercise for
 >the reader.   This does not include any "salting the mine."
 >
 >Rick Strickert
 >Austin, TX



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