h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Polonium - A18299820
Author: Big Al - Keeper of Mnemonics; Creator of the renowned glowing pickle. Still getting accustomed to my new job. - U723247

An addition to my 'Chemistry' stuff - and of topical interest.

The substance is all here, I just need to tinker around with Approved GML to get some of the technical jargon and nomenclature right.

I may also need to put somne more explanation into footnotes.

I wonder what put this in your mind

A very pertinent entry, but I'm stretching my memory of Higher Chemistry trying to follow the technicalities. I am sure to people with more knowledge this would be perfectly clear, but to a layman like myself I struggle to relate to parts of it.

One phrase jumped out at me, "These could be implanted in body tissue,". This seemed to come totally out of left field and I had to backtrack. Are you talking about medical applications? If so, perhaps a little fleshing out is necessary.

I am sure someone more knowledgeable than I will be along soon to go through the technical aspects, but I certainly have a better understanding of Polonium thanks to your piece.

intresting read

couple of points ...


>>This is achieved by converting the bismuth tio its oxide and volatalizing the polonium oxide --- > to its

>>In solution,the intense radiation --> solution, the

>>It is soft nough to be scratched by --> soft enough

Reads a lot better for numbskulls like me

There's Polonium in cigarette smoke ???

I've correct those point, Jon
Hi SWL. I've also carified (I hope!) the bit about radiotherapy using radon in glass ampoules.

... and yes, polonium is found in tobacco smoke - http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet9.html.

Wow !!

Any idea how Polonium gets into cigarettes?

Well, it arrives there as a result of using phosphate fertilisers when growing tobacco. Apparently, radon is produced as a result of an 'acidulation' process and, as shwn in my Entry, radon decays to polonium-210.

Now *that* is truly fascinating. Thank you.

I read somewhere that it only takes a microscopic amount of Po-210 to kill someone if ingested. What levels are we talking about in ciggies? And would it be ingested in the same way?

Well this is what thew Cancer Research UK website says:

'The lungs of smokers can be exposed to four times more polonium than those of non-smokers and specific parts may get a hundred times more radiation. One study estimated that someone smoking one and half packs a day receives the equivalent amount of radiation as someone having 300 chest X-rays a year'.

I am *so* happy I gave up smoking 13 years ago!

Very thorough treatment. Seeing as how it has such an interesting and unique crystal structure, it really ought to have some therapuetic and healing properties, don't you think?

I hope that remark is , FM

Perhaps Mr. Litvinenko had the misfortune to visit a crystal therpaist...

"At the time of writing it is not clear who was responsible although the Russians deny all involvement."

Brilliant wording. Brilliant Entry, also.

, Alex

Nitpicks (quite a while later due to distractions):

and therefore most used, is polonium -210, --> remove the gap before -210

(Several other members of the series are not shown, including 218-Po and 214-Po, but their half-lives are very short: 3.05 minutes and 1.6 x 10-4 sec, respectively). - any chance of including the full series as well, perhaps in a footnote?

volatalizing the polonium oxide by heating --> 'volatilizing'?

solution of HBiCl4 with 10%SnCl2 --> add a space after 10%

"Polonium dissolves readily in dilute acids, but is only slightly soluble in alkalis." - lemon tea, sir?

only 2 γ quanta per 105α-emissions - add a space after 105, and explain to the rest of the world what this phrase means.

Alex

I've domne all of that Alex - all except p-utting in the full disintegration series as I'm planning on doing something more radical there anyway.

The other thing I can do is "add a space after 105". My user page shows that I have got a space there. I've tried adding an extra one but to no effect. I recall having this problem once before - long ago - but can't recall how I resolved it

The other thing I CAN'T do ...