The stand-alone microbeam at Columbia University presents a novel approach to biological microbeam irradiation studies. Foregoing a conventional accelerator as a source of energetic ions, a small, high-specific-activity, alpha emitter is used. Alpha particles emitted from this source are focused using a compound magnetic lens consisting of 24 permanent magnets arranged in two quadrupole triplet...

The lethal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenco with the radioactive element polonium-210, and the risk that many civilians (including Israeli citizens) who were in the same location in London at the same time were exposed to radiation, was an unprecedented event in the western world. This was only the second known death due to 210Po, a natural alpha radiation-emitting element. A task team was cre...

Abstract The main aim of this study was to determine the bioaccumulation 210 Po in hair various cat breeds and an attempt interpret whether following factors, such as: breed, length hair, gender, age, place living or residence, weight, type food consumed, taking medications, origin into account structural division Poland voivodeships physiological processes as pregnancy lactation have a signifi...

Background: Due to the presence of radioactive minerals such as monazite, the beach sand of the west coast of Kanyakumari exhibits high natural background radiation. Hair is a good indicator of radionuclides in the human body. An attempt is taken to measure the 210Po activity in human hair samples and the factors affecting it. Material and Methods: 210Po activity was analysed in 47 ind...

INTRODUCTION To determine the tobacco industry's policy and action with respect to radioactive polonium 210 ((210)Po) in cigarette smoke and to assess the long-term risk of lung cancer caused by alpha particle deposits in the lungs of regular smokers. METHODS Analysis of major tobacco industries' internal secret documents on cigarette radioactivity made available online by the Master Settleme...

The 21st L H Gray Conference, organised by the L H Gray Trust with the Society for Radiological Protection, brought together international experts in radiobiology, epidemiology and risk assessment, and scientists involved in diagnostic and therapeutic radiation exposure. The meeting — held in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4–6 June 2008 — aimed to raise awareness, educate and share knowledge of import...

W ithin a decade of the discovery of radioactivity in 1896, the chemical elements uranium, radium, polonium, and thorium were recognized as radioactive; the basic theory, mechanisms, and mathematics of radioactive decay were established; decay rates of some radioactive chemical elements were determined; and the ages of two mineral specimens were calculated for the first time from their uranium ...