Polonium-210

<p>Polonium-210 (210Po, Po-210, historically radium F) is an <a href="/facts/Isotope/KD9B1y6o">isotope</a> of <a href="/facts/Polonium/G4rzsyjP">polonium</a>. It undergoes <a href="/facts/Alpha_decay/rCsHNIUE">alpha decay</a> to <a href="/facts/Stable_nuclide/vC0VVvqN">stable</a> <a href="/facts/Lead-206/V9JFUTRo">206Pb</a> with a half-life of 138.376 days (about 4+1⁄2 months), the longest half-life of all naturally occurring <a href="/facts/Isotopes_of_polonium/bIdUTjCm">polonium isotopes</a> (210–218Po). First identified in 1898, and also marking the discovery of the <a href="/facts/Chemical_element/0jducgWD">element</a> polonium, 210Po is generated in the <a href="/facts/Decay_chain/JvTwPNBn">decay chain</a> of <a href="/facts/Uranium-238/QhcHm6q8">uranium-238</a> and <a href="/facts/Radium-226/T0SlGtRH">radium-226</a>. 210Po is a prominent contaminant in the environment, mostly affecting <a href="/facts/Seafood/geXBKfzJ">seafood</a> and <a href="/facts/Tobacco/bTD4RUPQ">tobacco</a>. Its extreme <a href="/facts/Toxicity/qa96rs60">toxicity</a> is attributed to intense radioactivity, mostly due to <a href="/facts/Alpha_particle/dzNMs9WP">alpha particles</a>, which easily cause radiation damage, including <a href="/facts/Cancer/PVW6n1D0">cancer</a> in surrounding tissue. The <a href="/facts/Specific_activity/KIv7s4N4">specific activity</a> of 210Po is 166 TBq/g, i.e., 1.66×1014 Bq/g. At the same time, 210Po is not readily detected by common radiation detectors, because its <a href="/facts/Gamma_rays/5Drf913J">gamma rays</a> have a very low energy. Therefore, 210Po can be considered as a quasi-pure alpha emitter.
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Polonium-210 open-in-new

Polonium-210