POLONIUM-210: THE MOST DEADLY POISON
Some of
these days, the ranks of the media highlights about the death of Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat, nine years ago. Arafat was allegedly killed by
polonium-210, which has also been used to kill Kremlin spy, Alexander
Litvinenko in 2006. What is a poison polonium-210?
Before
discussing the polonium-210, we will discuss first about polonium. Polonium is
the element of atomic number 84 and includes the VIA group. Polonium has
electron configuration [Xe] 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p4.
This element is a radioactive element. Polonium has 33 isotopes, which the
wight from 186 to 226 nucleons. The most stable natural isotope is polonium-210
with a half-life 138 days. Meanwhile, overall. Either natural or synthetic
isotopes, 209Po has the longest half life time, which is 103 years
old. One of these isotopes is polonium-210 or abbreviated 210Po,
which we will discuss in this post.
210Po is an
alpha ray emitter with a half-life 138.376 days, with by-products are isotopes
of lead-206 (206Pb). One milligram of 210Po can emit
alpha particles every second is equivalent to 5 grams of radium-226 (226Ra).
A few curies (1 curie equals 37 gigabecquerel ) 210Po emit a
blue color caused by the excitation (loss of electrons) to the surrounding air
. One gram of 210Po generates 140 watts of power. Is because
it emits a lot of alpha particles , which can be stopped in a short
distance with a medium and expend energy, 210 Po has been used
as an efficient heat source for charging the thermoelectric cells in
artificial satellites , as an example, the energy source of 210Po
is also used in plant Lunokhod is built on the surface of the moon ,
to keep the warmth inside during the evening components in months. Several
containing antistatic brush to 500 microcuries (19 MBq) 210Po
as a source of ions to neutralize static electricity in materials like
photographic film. 210Po is also used as an initiator
for the atomic bomb through the reaction (α, n) with
beryllium .
Most of the
decomposition of 210Po followed the release of alpha
particles, rather than the release of alpha particles and gamma rays.
approximately one than 100.000 decay produces gamma rays. The rate of formation
of a low gamma ray this causes this isotope is very difficult to find and
identify. Compared with gamma-ray spectroscopy, alpha spektrospok is the best
way to track this isotope. 210Po appears very little in nature,
where the isotope is an isotope mid cycle radium decay chain (also known
uranium cycle). This isotope is also obtained via beta decay of bismuth-210
(Bi-210) .
210Po is
extremely toxic, with only one microgram is enough to kill an adult (250.000
times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide is measured by its mass ).
210Po was used to kill the agent who spied on the Kremlin, Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006
and recently , the analysis of the body of Yasser Arafat, in November
2013 led to the murder indication polonium-210.
Sources:
"Isotopes of polonium"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_polonium, accessed on November 9,
2013)
"polonium" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium, accessed on
November 9, 2013)
Posted by dian adi at 9/11/2013 09:07:00 PM
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