Advice to relatives, friends, co-workers and those who have been in close contact with people who have received positive test results

I live in the same household as someone who has a urine sample result showing elevated Polonium -210 levels. What is the risk to my health?

Normal social and household contact with people who may have elevated Polonium-210 levels in their urine are not a risk to others if good hygiene practices are followed. Only a tiny amount of Polonium -210 is excreted in body fluids and even then you would only be at risk of harm if you ingested it.

Polonium-210 on the surface of the body can be removed by washing or by putting clothes through a normal cycle in a washing machine. Normal hygiene practices such as regular changes of clothes, washing dishes, cleaning toilets wearing rubber gloves and disposing of cloths afterwards will remove any residual contamination.

I work with someone who has a urine sample result showing elevated Polonium -210 levels. What is the risk to my health?

You are not at risk, if you work, or have social and household contact with people who may have elevated Polonium-210 levels in their urine. They are not a risk to others when normal hygiene practices are followed. You would only be at risk of harm from Polonium-210 if you have ingested it which is unlikely as only a tiny amount of it is excreted in body fluids.

Is it safe for staff to be at work now if they have a urine sample result showing elevated levels of Polonium -210? And if it is safe now did they previously present a risk to co-workers and customers previously?

They do not pose any risk and need not be absent from work for this reason. Co-workers and customers were and are not currently at risk. Work, social and household contacts with people who may have elevated Polonium-210 levels in their urine are not a risk to others if normal hygiene practices are followed. You would only be at risk if you have ingested it which is unlikely as only a tiny amount of it is excreted in body fluids.

Is it safe for people with elevated levels of Polonium -210 to prepare food and drink and was it safe for them to do so immediately after the radiation exposure?

People need not restrict their daily life including food preparation so long as good hygiene practice is followed.

Is it safe for people with elevated levels of Polonium -210 to mix with family and friends?

Social and household contact with people who may have elevated Polonium-210 levels in their urine is safe if normal hygiene practices are followed.

Do their family and friends need urine tests?

No, the risk of passing on the contamination is too small

Does sweat contain Polonium-210 and if so how much?

Yes, but at very low levels similar to or less than other body fluids. It is typically 10 times less than those found in urine.

How great is the risk of radiation in our surroundings normally?

People are exposed to radiation from a variety of natural sources all the time in normal life, an average annual radiation dose for most UK residents is 2.2 mSv. These naturally occurring sources include radon gas, cosmic radiation (from outer space), terrestrial gamma radiation from natural radioactivity in rocks such as granite and building materials such as gypsum. As a result, the normal annual radiation dose varies in different parts of the UK .

What are the chances of getting cancer?

Quite high doses from Polonium-210 are not likely to significantly increase an individual's risk of cancer. In fact, we all carry a risk of getting cancer of about 1 in 3. For every additional 1 mSv of radiation dose, for an average person the incidence rises, on average, 0.005%, changing the figure for an average person from 25% to 25.005%. So, a higher dose of 10mSv would increase the risk from 25% to 25.05% and a dose of 100mSv would only increase the risk from 25% to 25.5%.

If the dose they were exposed to is the equivalent of several years of normal radiation dosage, does it matter if the dose was received in one go?

No, our risk assessment takes this into account The biological half-life (the time for the level of Polonium-210 in the body to fall by half) of Polonium-210 is approximately 50 days. So in less than a year the levels will have reduced by about 100. In two years it will be reduced by a factor of about 16,000, and so on.

What can be done to minimise the after-effects of any radiation exposure?

There are no specific antidotes for Polonium-210 ingestion. However, if you smoke, try to stop and follow other advice for a healthy lifestyle.

Is there a number or email address I can have for submitting further queries about radiation?

You can use the following email address: public.information@hpa.org.uk or you can contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647

Last reviewed: 10 December 2008