Polonium-210 produces alpha radiation, which can’t penetrate the skin. It will kill you with cancer if even one microgram of the stuff gets in your body, but otherwise it’s relatively harmless. [Edit 1: That being said, a small cereal toy like that is, uhh, ironic. Edit 2: Oh and apparently it dissolves in water :DDD]
Also with a half life of 138 days it’s hardly “one of the most radioactive substances on Earth”.
Yes, and 138 days is far from the shortest. Take Radon-220 for example. It can be found in nature in trace amounts, while having a half life of only 55.6 seconds, while Radon-222 has the longest half-life of all Radon isotopes at 3.8 days.
Polonium-210 produces alpha radiation, which can’t penetrate the skin. It will kill you with cancer if even one microgram of the stuff gets in your body, but otherwise it’s relatively harmless. [Edit 1: That being said, a small cereal toy like that is, uhh, ironic. Edit 2: Oh and apparently it dissolves in water :DDD]
Also with a half life of 138 days it’s hardly “one of the most radioactive substances on Earth”.
It is however one of the most toxic things on earth By mass, polonium-210 is around 250,000 times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide and was used by the KGB for assassinations.
A shorter half life generally means it puts out more radiation per hour.
Yes, and 138 days is far from the shortest. Take Radon-220 for example. It can be found in nature in trace amounts, while having a half life of only 55.6 seconds, while Radon-222 has the longest half-life of all Radon isotopes at 3.8 days.
Sure, the kids just don’t have to chew or suck on it…oh, oh no