Toxic Trivia

["Andrew H Mattox" <amattox@mbl.edu>]

Recently while reviewing a web reference for Material Safety Data Sheets I
visited an excellent resource, http://www.ilpi.com

The following question appears in the site's entertaining "Toxic Trivia" test.

"2.One of the deadliest radioactive isotopes is 210Po (Polonium-210). It is
a strong alpha emitter with a half-life of 128 days. Polonium metal is also
rather
volatile, with a melting point of 255 degrees C, making it a particularly
deadly component of tobacco smoke (inhaling alpha emitters is not a very
good idea).
Fortunately, polonium is found only in minute amounts in Nature.

Polonium is so radioactive that a 0.50 gram sample will reach temperatures
greater than 500 degrees all by itself. The radiation energy is so great
that an
amount too small to see would be a lethal dose!

Let's compare polonium to hydrogen cyanide (which can kill you in a few
minutes at 300 ppm in air). How many times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide
is polonium?

                  100
                  56,000
                  78,950,000
                  1,000,000,000
                  250,000,000,000 "


The question rubbed me the wrong way and I contacted the site to offer some
constructive criticism. This sparked an entertaining exchange with Rob
Toreki at ILPI who has offered to host a "Radiation Misconceptions" quiz if
I do the leg work. No "anti" sentiment at work here.

Any ideas on quiz questions and answers would be welcomed.

Any comment on the heating of Po-210 or the toxicity rating?

amattox@mbl.edu

Andrew Mattox, CSP
Environmental Health and Safety Manager
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL street
Woods Hole, Ma 02543
amattox@mbl.edu
508-289-7424


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