The Unfortunate Mr. Litvenenko: Radiobiology and Toxicology of Po-210

The assassination in 2006 of the expatriate Russian Alexander Litvinenko added Po-210 to the short list of radionuclides that have caused the acute radiation syndrome in human beings via internal exposure. Polonium-210 is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and deposits in the reticuloendothelial system, where its alpha emission produces a high absorbed dose rate to tissues. This presentation discusses the biokinetics and internal radiation dosimetry of Po-210, and interprets Mr. Litvenenko's clinical course in terms of the acute radiation syndrome, most often seen in cases of high external exposure to gamma rays and/or neutrons.