Update On Public Health Issues Related To Polonium-210 Investigation, UK

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Also Included In: Public Health;  Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 26 Feb 2007 - 14:00 PDT

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The Health Protection Agency is continuing to provide expert advice on the public health issues surrounding the death of Mr. Alexander Litvinenko. Throughout, our primary concern has been to protect the public.

We have carried out an extensive monitoring programme of people and places identified by the police investigation. Our investigations have confirmed there is no public health concern in the open public areas. The monitoring results received so far show that the risk to the general public from any exposure to Polonium-210 (Po-210) is likely to be very low.

Test result update

Category 1

-- 569 people had results 'below reporting level' - below 30 millibecquerels (mBq) per day (natural levels of Po-210 in urine are typically in the range 5-15 mBq per day). It is therefore unlikely that any of these people had been exposed to Po-210

Category 2

-- 85 people had results above 30 mBq per day in their urine, but with a dose less than 1mSv indicating no public health risk, and no health concern to the individual, but probable contact with Po-210

Category 3a

-- 34 people had results above 1 millisievert (mSv), but below 6mSv indicating no public health risk, and no health concern to the individual, but probable contact with Po-210

There are 688 results in categories 1, 2 and 3a and these are NOT of health concern.

Category 3b

-- 16 people had results above 6mSv which are not significant enough to cause any illness in the short term and any increased risk in the long term is likely to be very small

Further information is available on http://www.hpa.org.uk

For information on locations go to the London Resilience Team website at http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk

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