Noun
polonium-210 (uncountable)
(physics) A radioactive isotope of polonium, 84Po, having a half-life of 138 days; it as used as a reference alpha emitter in the calibration of radiation counters
By mass, polonium-210 is around 250,000 times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide (the LD 50 for 210 Po is less than 1 microgram for an average adult (see below) compared with about 250 milligrams for hydrogen cyanide citation ). Source: Internet
A polonium-210 radioisotope heater unit was used to keep the rover warm during the long lunar nights. Source: Internet
Heavy smoking results in a radiation dose of 160 mSv/year to localized spots at the bifurcations of segmental bronchi in the lungs from the decay of polonium-210. Source: Internet
The Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, has published a report supporting the thesis that Yasser Arafat was poisoned with polonium-210. Source: Internet
The white lead in the painting The Supper at Emmaus had polonium-210 values of 8.5±1.4 and radium-226 (part of the uranium-238 radioactive decay series) values of 0.8±0.3. Source: Internet
In the US, a tracking system run by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was implemented in 2007 to register purchases of more than convert of polonium-210 (enough to make up 5,000 lethal doses). Source: Internet