Review of Chemical and Radiotoxicological Properties of Polonium for Internal Contamination Purposes

The discovery of polonium (Po) was first published in July, 1898 by P. Curie and M. Curie. It was the first element to be discovered by the radiochemical method. Polonium can be considered as a famous but neglected element: only a few studies of polonium chemistry have been published, mostly between...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical research in toxicology 2012-08, Vol.25 (8), p.1551-1564
Main Authors: Ansoborlo, Eric, Berard, Philippe, Den Auwer, Christophe, Leggett, Rich, Menetrier, Florence, Younes, Ali, Montavon, Gilles, Moisy, Philippe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alpha Particles
Animals
Chelating Agents - chemistry
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Chemical Sciences
CHEMISTRY
CONTAMINATION
DISTRIBUTION
DOSIMETRY
FOOD
Food Contamination, Radioactive
Fresh Water - chemistry
Geologic Sediments - chemistry
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
INGESTION
INHALATION
INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Metallothionein - chemistry
Metallothionein - metabolism
POLONIUM
Polonium - chemistry
Polonium - history
Polonium - toxicity
polonium chemistry toxicology radiotoxicity
RADIOCHEMISTRY
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
Thermodynamics
WATER
Water Pollutants, Radioactive - chemistry
Water Pollutants, Radioactive - toxicity
WOUNDS
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Summary:The discovery of polonium (Po) was first published in July, 1898 by P. Curie and M. Curie. It was the first element to be discovered by the radiochemical method. Polonium can be considered as a famous but neglected element: only a few studies of polonium chemistry have been published, mostly between 1950 and 1990. The recent (2006) event in which 210Po evidently was used as a poison to kill A. Litvinenko has raised new interest in polonium. 2011 being the 100th anniversary of the Marie Curie Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the aim of this review is to look at the several aspects of polonium linked to its chemical properties and its radiotoxicity, including (i) its radiochemistry and interaction with matter; (ii) its main sources and uses; (iii) its physicochemical properties; (iv) its main analytical methods; (v) its background exposure risk in water, food, and other environmental media; (vi) its biokinetics and distribution following inhalation, ingestion, and wound contamination; (vii) its dosimetry; and (viii) treatments available (decorporation) in case of internal contamination.
ISSN:0893-228X
1520-5010
DOI:10.1021/tx300072w