Polonium has Deadly Effects

Current Event - #4
London Riddle: A Russian Spy, A Lethal Dose


On Friday, authorities in London said that Alexander V. Litvinenko died from radiation poisoning. Litvinenko was a Russian K.G.B. officer and foe of the Kremlin. The police found traces of radiation at three places Litvinenko had visited: a sushi bar, a hotel room, and his North London home. While diplomats tried to prevent international incident, scientists were in awe at the use of polonium 210, a rare and hard to produce substance that has deadly effects when breathed, injected, or ingested.
On his deathbed, Litvinenko accused President Vladimir V. Putin of poisoning him. This accusation led the government to call a high level meeting rebuffing the allegation and trying to protect President Putin from the finger pointing, keeping his credibility in tact. Despite the multiple comments of the Litvinenko family towards President Putin, the police are still treating the case as an “unexplained death,” carefully avoiding the term murder.
Mr. Litvinenko had begun complaining of illness November 1. The authorities have been trying to track down those who helped treat him, in case they have been contaminated.
Mr. Litvinenko’s death due to exposure to polonium is reminiscent of the death of James Mackeroness Goode in 1960. Goode worked as a nuclear physicist in Mound Laboratories, Miamisburg Ohio, where polonium triggers were manufactured for nuclear weapons. While working in the plant, Goode was exposed to the radioactive elements and suffered serious health problems. He died as a result of these complications at the age of 36. Similarly, Litvinenko was a young man (age 43) with no predisposing health problems. Although, there is a link in both cases to the polonium, authorities in the Litvinenko’s case are steering away from any conspiracy theories of a murder. In the Goode case, the claims of the link to the death are being investigated under the Freedom of Information Act by his daughter in an attempt to obtain compensation. In both instances, the respective involved governments are denying any responsibility, which could cause serious repercussions. Both cases also show an exposure to polonium, which is not a substance which people are normally exposed to. In the case of Goode, he would have been exposed to this while working on Atomic elements for the Arms race. As part of the Cold War, the CIA also investigated the use of Polonium/Thallium as a poisoning agent. During the Cold War, the U.S. government considered using the substance to poison Fidel Castro, but later decided against it. In both cases, the unexplained deaths point to the exposure to polonium, which is known to be poisonous and consequentially lethal.