| |
The recent death of Alexander Litvinenko in London has focused the world on the high toxicity of polonium 210.
Some inquiries have been made recently by people concerned about being exposed while traveling. The likelihood of
being exposed is very low, however some companies and individuals are seeking to know for certain that they are not
in any danger. GEL is available to assist in meeting this need.
Background:
Polonium exists naturally in the environment and was originally isolated in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie. While
existing harmlessly at very low levels, polonium can become a very dangerous substance when concentrated. Polonium
210 "fires" many alpha particles per mass along a short distance. The primary health concern with polonium is
getting this highly active alpha emitter inside the body through ingestion adsorption or inhalation. Half of any
polonium received by an individual passes through the body in 30-50 days with critical organs being the liver and
spleen. It is important to monitor the urine soon after a potential exposure may have occurred.
Analysis:
Monitoring an individual potentially exposed to polonium is done by collecting urine excreted over a 24 hour voiding
period. GEL provides test kits to assist in the urine collection process. Once collected and shipped to the
laboratory, polonium analysis is conducted by concentrating a urine sample through selective precipitation,
deposition on a nickel disk and finally counting by alpha spectrometry. This is one of the most sensitive approaches
available for determining the amount of polonium in an individual with a detection limit around 0.02 Bq/l.
Treatment:
Once the amount of polonium present is known, a qualified physician and/or radiation specialist can be consulted to
determine what next steps should be taken for treatment. In most cases the levels of polonium found will not require
any further action.
If you would like to receive a quotation for this analysis
go to http://www.gel.com/services/env_lab/quote.html.
For more information on polonium see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium.
back
| |
GEL Laboratories, LLC has the capacity and capabilities to support low level mercury analysis by method 1631.
read more
|
