polonium
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9.9
- noun
- /pəˈloʊniəm/
- Specialized
:
polonio
- So all on its own, polonium will be radioactive and its form of emission is alpha particles.
- polonium and radium
Examples
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It's an isotope called polonium.
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Now, however, it has been revealed that Arafat was poisoned: the cause of his death was exposure to very high levels of polonium-210, a rare radioactive substance.
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Have you heard about polonium poisoning?
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Just how likely was it that the investigators would zero in on the polonium as the cause?
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The PA last week agreed to exhume Arafat's body amid new allegations he was poisoned with the radioactive element polonium-210.
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Masse elaborated: "When in contact with high levels of polonium, the body suffers from acute radiation, which translates into a state of anemia and a severe decrease in white blood cells."
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There are a few recorded events implicating the toxic nature of polonium poisoning, starting with the death of Nobus Yamada in 1927 after working with polonium in Marie Curie's lab.
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Have you heard about polonium poisoning?
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The police found no traces of polonium on the bus or on his bus ticket.
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Unlike many other radioactive substances, polonium-210 is harmless as long as it remains outside the body.
Synonyms
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A chemical symbol for polonium, a rare radioactive metal
A radioactive metal called polonium that is found with uranium and used in some devices
How Toxic
Surface Forms
Morphology
polonium = Poland (semi-transparent) = polon + ium
The form clearly shows a place-name base (Poland) plus the chemical suffix '-ium', but specialized chemical properties (rare, radioactive metal) are not recoverable from the morphology alone.
Etymology
Polonium was named by Marie Curie after Polonia, the Latin name for 'Poland'. That's why this rare, radioactive metal carries the name of her homeland and helps you remember it was discovered by her.