Polonium

Name Origin
From Poland, country of Pierre and Marie Curie.
"Polonium" in different languages.

Sources
Occurs in pitchblende from decay of radium. Annual world wide production is less than 100 grammes.




Abundance
Earth's Crust: ppm
Seawater: 2 x 10-8 ppm




Uses
Used for nuclear batteries, neutron source, antistatic agents, film cleaner.




History
Also called tentatively "Radium F", polonium was discovered by Marie Sklodowska-Curie and her husband Pierre Curie in 1898 and was later named after Marie Curie's native land of Poland (Latin: Polonia). Poland at the time was under Russian, Prussian, and Austrian partition, and did not exist as an independent country. It was Curie's hope that naming the element after her native land would publicize its lack of independence. Polonium may be the first element named to highlight a political controversy. Poland became an independent country again in 1918, following World War I.
This element was the first one discovered by the Curies while they were investigating the cause of pitchblende radioactivity. The pitchblende, after removal of the radioactive elements uranium and thorium, was more radioactive than both the uranium and thorium put together. This spurred the Curies on to find additional radioactive elements. The Curies first separated out polonium from the pitchblende, and then within a few years, also isolated radium.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Polonium
• astatine
• alexander litvinenko
• polonium 210
• polonium poisoning
• litvinenko
• polonium halos
• polonium element
• polonium uses
• polonium facts
• uses of polonium
• polonium symbol

[Aniva66]

Which is the antidote to polonium? which stuff would Alexander Litvinenko have needed in order to safe his life? does it exist an antidote? i get the feeling it exists.

In Area 51 there are UFOs...so ,don't u believe that there is an antidote to/against polonium? i believe

[FlamingRedJen]

yes firsrt subscriber