Trade secrets... Polonium poisoning

By Jonathan Hare2014-03-01T16:24:00

Source: Shutterstock

Secrets of the trade: Polonium is almost impossible to obtain, so how was it used to poison a Russian spy? Jonathan Hare investigates the strange case of Alexander Litvinenko

This story, which is recently back in the news, began in 2006 when the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko met two Russians in a sushi restaurant in downtown London. Later on that day he reported feeling unwell and within two weeks he was dead. It is thought that he was poisoned with a radioactive material. The inquest showed Litvinenko was killed by ingesting polonium (210Po). Polonium is an alpha particle emitting metal with a half life of 138 days. Amazingly it is thought that as little as one microgram is enough to kill someone.

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